Source : Perth Now news
The popular Russian opposition figure Boris Nadezhdin has left his home country following a brief detention in Moscow.
“There is good news. I am alive and free,” Nadezhdin said in a video posted on Telegram on Monday, filmed in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
“Unfortunately, not in Russia for the time being,” he said, adding that he needs “to look around and figure out life going forward”.
Following his detention in July, Nadezhdin announced that he was giving up his fight to stand in the Russian parliamentary elections in September.
He also said that he was considering leaving Russia for his own safety.
In July, the Russian Justice Ministry classified Nadezhdin as a “foreign agent,” a label used by the authorities to stigmatise dissidents and bar them from standing for election in Russia.
The ministry accused Nadezhdin of spreading disinformation about decisions made by Russian authorities and of calling for unauthorised demonstrations and vigils.
In the 2024 presidential election, long queues had formed in Moscow as people gathered the necessary signatures for Nadezhdin to run.
However, the electoral commission barred Nadezhdin – who openly opposes Russia’s war against Ukraine – from standing for election.
The few Russian opposition politicians who have not been imprisoned or fled into exile have complained about an increase in the already pervasive repression ahead of the parliamentary elections scheduled for September 18-20.
Despite the widespread dissatisfaction among many Russians due to the war, the Kremlin-backed United Russia party intends to maintain its position of power in the election.
with AP
