Russian anti war politician Boris Nadezhdin said on Monday that he has temporarily left Russia, weeks after authorities designated him a “foreign agent” and barred him from contesting the country’s upcoming parliamentary election.
In a video posted on Telegram from Paris, with the Eiffel Tower visible in the background, the 63 year old opposition figure confirmed he was safe but no longer in Russia.
“Hi everyone! I have some good news. I’m alive and free. Unfortunately, I’m not in Russia at the moment,” Nadezhdin said.
He added that he would take time to assess his situation before announcing his future plans.
Nadezhdin, a former liberal lawmaker, has been one of the few outspoken critics of Russia’s war in Ukraine who attempted to remain active within the country’s tightly controlled political system. His departure removes another prominent opposition voice from the domestic political landscape, where many Kremlin critics are either imprisoned or living in exile.
His hopes of contesting September’s parliamentary election ended after Russia’s Justice Ministry placed him on its “foreign agents” register on July 10. The designation is commonly applied to individuals accused by authorities of engaging in anti Russian activities with alleged foreign support.
A week later, Nadezhdin was questioned by police and fined for displaying what authorities described as “extremist symbols” on social media, a charge he rejected as baseless.
At the time, he said the government was attempting to silence him and make political participation impossible.
Russia has intensified its crackdown on dissent since launching its full scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Opposition politicians, independent journalists and activists have faced criminal prosecutions, imprisonment, fines and restrictions under a range of laws introduced since the war began.
Pro Kremlin politicians argue that tighter controls are necessary to protect national unity, accusing Western governments of seeking to destabilise Russia while the country remains engaged in what Moscow describes as an existential conflict with Ukraine and its Western allies.
Nadezhdin previously attempted to challenge President Vladimir Putin in the 2024 presidential election but was disqualified by the Central Election Commission, which cited alleged irregularities in the signatures submitted to support his candidacy.
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