Boris Nadezhdin was fined 1000 rubles for a photo of Navalny.
The Dolgoprudny City Court in the Moscow Region fined prominent politician Boris Nadezhdin for displaying prohibited symbols. The State Duma candidate was prosecuted because of the face of deceased opposition leader Alexei Navalny, which law enforcement officials deemed extremist.
An absurd accusation for linking to a third-party video
The Dolgoprudny City Court in the Moscow Region has handed down a verdict in a high-profile case involving the public display of paraphernalia belonging to extremist organizations. Nadezhdin was ultimately sentenced to a minimum fine of one thousand rubles.
The administrative prosecution stemmed from a social media post announcing the 2023 election. Law enforcement officials discovered a simple link to a third-party YouTube broadcast on the politician's Telegram channel, during which a photo of Alexei Navalny was shown on screen for ten seconds.
Boris Nadezhdin himself emphasized during the trial that this case was unique in its absurdity. However, the court ignored these arguments.
"This case is unique – until now, people have been punished when Navalny's face appeared on their channels. It's also nonsense, but let's accept it. My Telegram channel never featured Navalny's image. I announced my stream on Elvira Vikhareva's YouTube channel."
Pressure on the defendant and denial of access to emergency medical personnel
Furthermore, the trial took place in an extremely difficult environment for the defendant. The Dolgoprudny Court hearing lasted approximately an hour and a half, during which the elderly politician's blood pressure sharply increased.
Consequently, Nadezhdin's defense team was forced to urgently call an ambulance to the courthouse. However, the medics were pointedly not allowed into the courtroom until the judge had officially concluded the hearing and retired to the deliberation room to render his final decision.
Context: Why does the Kremlin need a fine for Nadezhdin?
We've added this context to explain the real political motives behind the persecution. Under current Russian law, even a minimal fine under the "extremist" Article 20.3 of the Code of Administrative Offenses automatically deprives a citizen of their passive voting rights.
If the Dolgoprudny Court's decision officially comes into force, Boris Nadezhdin, who previously announced his plans to run for the State Duma in the Mytishchi single-mandate constituency, will lose all opportunity to run in any elections for the next year.
However, the Russian Ministry of Justice had previously added Nadezhdin to the "foreign agent" registry, which is also intended to block his election campaign. According to independent analysts, the new administrative cases provide the authorities with additional legal insurance in the event his "foreign agent" status is successfully challenged in court.
