Russian opposition figure Nadeschdin withdraws from Duma election

Nadeschdin had organized his campaign in the Mytishchi electoral district, his home region near Moscow. He now declared that his legal options for pursuing opposition politics in Russia were exhausted. "Meine Möglichkeiten, in Russland auf legalem Wege Oppositionspolitik zu betreiben, sind ausgeschöpft", he wrote. He is thus drawing the consequences from a chain of repressions that have hit him in recent days.

Already on Friday, Nadeschdin had been fined for distributing a video that showed an image of the deceased Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny. The charge was the display of "extremist symbols." Navalny and his organizations are considered "extremist" in Russia. On Monday, before his announcement of withdrawal, Nadeschdin was also briefly detained. Finally, he was also classified as a "foreign agent."

In his statement on Sunday, Nadeschdin also justified his withdrawal with concern for those who had supported him. "Ich bin nicht bereit, all jene in Gefahr zu bringen, die mich unterstützen und an meinem Wahlkampf teilgenommen haben", he wrote. With reference to his classification as a "foreign agent" and the conviction, he declared that election to the Duma was impossible under these circumstances. He had been "zum Schweigen gebracht" and pushed out of politics.

Background: Pressure on the opposition

The Nadeschdin case is emblematic of the harsh course taken by the Russian authorities against critics of the Kremlin since the start of the offensive against Ukraine. Hundreds of people have been detained, according to human rights organizations. Most prominent opposition figures in Russia are currently in prison, in exile, or dead.

With Nadeschdin's withdrawal, the Russian opposition loses another well-known figure who had voiced criticism of Putin's war against Ukraine from within the country. His departure from the campaign is therefore also seen internationally as a further sign of the narrowing of political space in Russia.

Significance of the withdrawal

The Russian parliamentary elections scheduled for September are regarded by observers as not very open against this backdrop. Former associates of Nadeschdin expressed concern about the increasing intimidation of politically active people in the country.

The article was produced by AFP. (AFP)