Russia Tightens Grip on Dissent: Blogger Detained and Politician Fined

One anti war critic fined another – Russian authorities have intensified their suppression of remaining domestic opposition through a series of legal actions targeting prominent critics. The latest wave of crackdowns includes the detention of a well-known blogger and the conviction of a local politician, both of whom have challenged the government’s stance on the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

Nadezhdin’s Legal Troubles Mount

Boris Nadezhdin, a 63-year-old former member of parliament, was found guilty of displaying extremist symbols. This conviction carries significant consequences, as it prevents him from collecting the necessary signatures to register as a parliamentary candidate for the September elections. The ruling comes despite a legal loophole that had previously allowed him to gather signatures even after being declared a foreign agent.

Nadezhdin denied the charges against him, asserting that the true purpose of the proceedings was to silence him and prevent his candidacy for the Duma, Russia’s parliament.

Nadezhdin first gained public attention two years ago when he attempted to run for the presidency on an anti-war platform. Electoral authorities ultimately disqualified his campaign, ruling that the signatures he had submitted contained errors. Since then, he has positioned himself as a pro-peace politician in a political landscape where genuine opposition figures have become increasingly rare.

During his court appearance in Dolgoprudny, a town north of Moscow, Nadezhdin briefly fell due to his health conditions. He suffers from both high blood pressure and diabetes. The court imposed a fine of 1,000 roubles, equivalent to approximately £9.50 or $13. However, Nadezhdin informed the judge that he would be unable to pay this amount, explaining that all his bank accounts had been frozen. He retains the right to appeal the decision.

Remeslo’s Dramatic Political Shift

Meanwhile, blogger Ilya Remeslo was remanded in pre-trial detention for two months on suspicion of spreading false information about the military. Remeslo, who had been a staunch supporter of Vladimir Putin, underwent a dramatic transformation last March when he publicly labeled the president a “war criminal and thief” and called for his resignation.

Remeslo said he was being accused of disseminating fake news about the military because of his March 2026 blog post entitled Five reasons why I stopped supporting Vladimir Putin.

The blog post, published on the Telegram messaging platform, surprised many in Russia given Remeslo’s previous support for Putin’s policies regarding the war. In the article, he criticized damage to Russia’s economy and the government’s restrictions on internet and media freedom. Following these criticisms, he was sent to a psychiatric hospital for one month, where he alleged he had been placed against his will.

On Thursday, the day before his arrest, Remeslo posted on Telegram that “the situation is getting worse rapidly for Putin,” citing what he described as Russia’s energy crisis and growing conflicts among political elites. Ukraine has been targeting oil refineries and storage facilities throughout Russia, resulting in fuel shortages in numerous regions, including Moscow.

Broader Political Context

The crackdown on opposition figures occurs against a backdrop of declining support for President Putin. Two recent opinion polls indicate a drop in his approval ratings this month. The Public Opinion Foundation (FOM) reported that his approval rating had decreased to 66%, representing a five-point decline in the week leading up to July 12. Meanwhile, the state-owned pollster VTsIOM recorded a smaller but still notable fall, placing Putin’s rating at 65.1%, the lowest level since the beginning of the full-scale war in Ukraine in February 2022.

Remeslo claimed that everything is moving toward a situation where even a small push could lead to Putin losing power.

The political environment has been further shaped by the death of Alexei Navalny, Russia’s most prominent opposition figure. Navalny died suddenly in a penal colony in the Arctic region in February 2024. While Russian authorities attributed his death to natural causes, the United Kingdom and four European countries expressed confidence that he had been “poisoned with a lethal toxin.”

Most of Russia’s opposition politicians have fled into exile abroad, leaving Nadezhdin and others as among the few remaining domestic voices challenging the government. Nadezhdin was initially declared a foreign agent last week before being detained on Monday over a video he had reposted in 2023 that briefly displayed an image of Navalny. He has also been prohibited from leaving the country.