Russian authorities have detained a prominent blogger and moved to prevent a local politician from running in upcoming parliamentary elections, continuing a crackdown on the country's diminishing opposition. Blogger Ilya Remeslo was remanded in custody for two months on suspicion of spreading false information about the military.
Remeslo, who had previously been a supporter of Vladimir Putin, publicly disavowed the president in March, calling him a "war criminal and thief" and advocating for his resignation. His detention follows a pattern of increased pressure on anti-war voices within Russia.
Separately, politician Boris Nadezhdin has been convicted of "displaying extremist symbols." This ruling bars him from collecting the necessary signatures to register as a candidate for the parliamentary elections scheduled for September. Nadezhdin, 63, had previously attempted to run for president on an anti-war platform but was disqualified due to issues with submitted signatures.
Nadezhdin has positioned himself as a pro-peace politician amid a landscape where few genuine opposition figures remain in Russia. Many have fled abroad, and prominent opposition leader Alexei Navalny died in an Arctic penal colony in February 2024. Russian authorities stated Navalny died of natural causes, but the UK and several European countries have expressed confidence he was poisoned.
Nadezhdin was recently declared a "foreign agent" and detained on Monday after reposting a video in 2023 that briefly featured an image of Navalny. He is also prohibited from leaving Russia. While being declared a foreign agent typically disqualifies a candidate, a legal loophole had previously allowed Nadezhdin to gather signatures. The conviction for "extremist symbols" closes this avenue.
The ruling also imposed a fine of 1,000 roubles (approximately $13) on Nadezhdin, though he informed the court that his accounts have been frozen, making payment impossible. He denied the charges, stating their true purpose was to silence him and prevent his candidacy for the Duma, Russia's parliament.
Remeslo's lawyer confirmed his detention in St. Petersburg and subsequent transfer to Moscow. He appeared in court on Friday and was placed in pre-trial detention.