Russian anti-war politician ends run for parliament, citing legal setbacks

Boris Nadezhdin, a Russian anti-war politician ​who had hoped to stand in parliamentary elections, has announced he is ending his role in opposition politics.

Boris Nadezhdin, a Russian anti-war politician ​who had hoped to stand in parliamentary elections later this year, has announced he is ending his role in opposition politics ⁠for now, blaming what he said were politically-motivated legal setbacks.

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Nadezhdin, 63, a former liberal lawmaker, has been an outspoken critic of Moscow’s war in Ukraine but — ⁠like some other opposition ​politicians — had tried ⁠to work within the rules of Russia’s tightly-controlled political system to be able to ⁠continue to voice his views publicly.

In a ​statement, ⁠Nadezhdin said he had ‌ran out of political road however, after a series of setbacks. He received a small fine ‌on Friday for displaying “extremist symbols” ‌and was this month designated a “foreign agent” by the justice ministry.