Anti-war politician Boris Nadezhdin said Monday afternoon that he was arrested north of Moscow, just days after Russia’s Justice Ministry designated him a “foreign agent.”
In a brief message on his Telegram channel, Nadezhdin wrote that he was being taken to a police station in the town of Dolgoprudny, located around 20 kilometers (12 miles) from the Russian capital. He did not say whether he faced any charges.
A person close to Nadezhdin, speaking on condition of anonymity, told The Moscow Times that “the reason for the arrest is still unclear.”
Law enforcement authorities have not commented on the arrest.
Nadezhdin is currently trying to run for office in the State Duma elections this September. Dolgoprudny is among the towns where his campaign team has been collecting signatures to help him qualify for the ballot.
Despite his designation as a “foreign agent” on Friday, a status that legally bars individuals from running for any elected office in Russia, Nadezhdin has vowed to press forward with his signature collection drive.
Nadezhdin saw his political star rise in early 2024 when he tried to run in Russia’s 2024 presidential election on a pro-peace platform. Election authorities ultimately barred him from running on technical grounds.
For the State Duma elections this September, Nadezhdin said he plans to campaign on a platform advocating for a “return to normal life,” though he has previously admitted that authorities could move to disqualify him once again.
