Politician Boris Nadezhdin said he does not rule out leaving Russia because he fears he could be arrested. He made the statement on July 14 during a broadcast on the YouTube channel The Breakfast Show, noting that the option is being discussed mainly with his family.
“Yes, [that idea] is being discussed. Not so much by me as by my family,” Nadezhdin said.
In comments to the outlet Agentstvo, the politician said he was alarmed by the possibility of further prosecution after his detention. He said he fears he would not be able to withstand even a short jail term because of his age and health.
Nadezhdin said he had “anxious” feelings because, in his view, authorities had wanted to “lock him up” the day before, adding that he might not survive even 15 days in a stifling cell.
Earlier on July 14, Nadezhdin also published a video on his Telegram channel in which he linked the increased pressure from the authorities to his bid for the State Duma. He recalled that after the presidential election he had said he was alive, free, in Russia, and not labeled a “foreign agent,” but now, he said, all of those conditions were “rapidly shrinking.”
At the same time, the politician stressed that he would still prefer to remain in the country. On July 13, Nadezhdin was detained and then charged under the administrative offense of displaying “extremist symbols” under Article 20.3 of the administrative code. The case stemmed from a link posted on his social media to a video containing a photograph of Alexei Navalny. He was released later that evening and ordered to appear in court on July 17.
On June 17, Nadezhdin said he had entered the race for the State Duma elections scheduled for September 2026. Less than a month later, he was added to Russia’s register of “foreign agents.” That designation bars a person from taking part in elections in Russia. The same one-year ban can also result from the Article 20.3 charge brought against him.