Anti-war politician Boris Nadezhdin said Thursday that authorities in Russia have banned him from leaving the country, just a day before he is scheduled to appear in court on charges of publicly displaying “extremist” symbols.
Nadezhdin, who gained prominence during a failed 2024 presidential bid on a pro-peace platform, was designated as a “foreign agent” late last week. On Monday, he was charged with displaying “extremist” symbols, an administrative offense that carries a maximum sentence of 15 days in prison.
The anti-war politician said he believes the authorities are trying to pressure him due to his efforts to run in Russia’s parliamentary elections in September. Individuals designated as “foreign agents” are unable to hold public office.
On Thursday, Nadezhdin wrote on his Telegram channel that he had received a travel ban notification from the Federal Bailiff Service via Gosuslugi, Russia’s state services portal. He called the restriction “illegal” and said he and his lawyer plan to file an appeal.
A person close to Nadezhdin told the exiled news outlet Agentstvo that the travel ban stems from the sudden reopening of an old enforcement proceeding linked to his bankruptcy case, which was closed more than a year ago.
