Police detained Russian politician Boris Nadezhdin on July 13, three days after the Justice Ministry added him to the country's 'foreign agents' registry. 'The police came. They are taking me to the Dolgoprudny department,' Nadezhdin wrote on his Telegram channel. The reason for the detention was not immediately known.
On July 10, the Justice Ministry included Nadezhdin in the registry of 'foreign agents,' stating that he had participated in distributing materials from other 'foreign agents' and 'undesirable' organizations, spread 'unreliable information' about Russian government decisions, and 'called for participation in unsanctioned rallies and pickets.'
Since May 2024, individuals designated as 'foreign agents' in Russia have been banned from participating in elections. In mid-June, Nadezhdin submitted documents to the Central Election Commission (CEC) to run for the State Duma as a self-nominated candidate and began collecting signatures in his support.
Nadezhdin had previously said that being added to the 'foreign agents' registry would not affect his work. 'I will live and fight on. It is unlikely to change anything in my political biography. I will continue to run for the State Duma and collect signatures,' he said.
In 2024, Nadezhdin ran for president of Russia. He was the only candidate with an anti-war stance. A broad campaign was launched in support of his candidacy, with queues forming at signature collection points. The CEC barred him from the election, citing a high percentage of invalid signatures.