Paris —
Boris Nadezhdin struck a tired, yet still upbeat figure when we met on a blisteringly hot day in Paris. He’d been in France just over a week, still reeling from his hasty exit from Russia after a sudden summons from Russia’s powerful Investigative Committee on what he assumed would be criminal charges.
After 40 years in Russian politics, he said he’d realized it was “a question of three days” before he might not have the choice to leave. “Normally, after you go to this place, you will receive the criminal paper and go to the court, and after court, go to jail: Lefortovo,” he explained, referring to Moscow’s most notorious prison, known for its brutal treatment of dissidents and political prisoners.
He checked his phone several times during the interview for updates from his lawyers.
He left his family in Russia, and on the day we met he missed his daughter’s wedding. But he’s managing to stay positive. “The good news is, I am alive and I am free,” he said.
