The Nikulinsky District Court of Moscow has registered an administrative protocol against politician Boris Nadezhdin under Article 20.33 of the Administrative Code, which concerns participation in the activities of an 'undesirable' organization, the press service of Moscow's courts reported.
The protocol stems from an interview Nadezhdin gave to Meduza, which is recognized in Russia as an 'undesirable' organization. The conversation with journalist Vladislav Gorin was published on the outlet's YouTube channel on July 14. The article carries a fine of up to 15,000 rubles.
Nadezhdin, who previously ran for president in 2024 and advocated ending the war against Ukraine, announced earlier this week that he had left Russia. He filmed the announcement in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris. 'There is good news. I am alive and free. Alas, not in Russia yet. Now I need to look around and understand how to live on,' he said. Nadezhdin has not yet commented on the protocol.
In mid-June, Nadezhdin filed documents to run for the State Duma as a self-nominated candidate. On July 10, the Justice Ministry designated him a 'foreign agent.' Three days later, he was detained in the Moscow region. He was issued a protocol for displaying 'extremist symbols' over a photograph of Alexei Navalny, and a court fined him 1,000 rubles. That ruling bars Nadezhdin from running in elections for one year, prompting him to end his campaign.
In mid-July, Nadezhdin was banned from leaving Russia under a decision by the Federal Bailiff Service. He has not yet explained how he managed to leave the country. On Monday, the politician posted that he had managed to register from abroad to participate in remote electronic voting.