More than two years ago, I posted a piece about Russian oppositionist Boris Nadezhdin, titled “2/8/24: I Hate To Say I Told You So, But . . .”

It began as follows:

“I called this one. And I really can’t brag about it, because it was pretty much of a no-brainer. Boris Nadezhdin has now been warned by the Election Commission that they have found ‘flawed’ signatures on his petition for approval as a candidate for the presidency of the Russian Federation in next month’s election.

“Well, color me surprised . . . NOT!

“On February 1st, I expressed my concern for this courageous man who has already managed to develop a substantial following, and gathered more than twice the number of signatures required to support his petition for inclusion on the ballot. I also wondered whether the Election Commission would still find a way to block his inclusion. And that may just be what is happening now. They have two more days in which to announce their final decision.”

Needless to say, he was ultimately barred from running by the Central Election Commission, which claimed to have found “irregularities” in the signatures supporting his candidacy.

*. *. *

I heard no more about Nadezhdin until July 2025, when it was reported that his 2024 campaign manager, Dmitry Kisiyev, had had his citizenship revoked by the Russian government on an accusation of having committed “actions posing a threat to national security.”

Nadezhdin has continued speaking out against the Putin regime and the war against Ukraine, and has recently been campaigning for a seat in the Russian Parliament in the upcoming September election. But last week he was designated a “foreign agent” — a label held over from Soviet times suggesting spying activities. [Lucy Papachistou, Reuters, July 17, 2026.]

He was next fined a symbolic 1,000 rubles ($13) for allegedly displaying “extremist symbols” — referring to a recent social media post linked to a video that included a photo of murdered dissident Alexei Navalny. [Id.]

Under the circumstances, Nadezhdin had begun contemplating whether to stay and risk arrest, or flee the country. But before he could act, he was detained by authorities and questioned, and has been forbidden to leave Russia. [AFP, July 16, 2026.]

*. *. *

Obviously, Vladimir Putin — despite being mired in a war he is losing but doesn’t know how to end, trying to jump-start an economy in free-fall, and watching his popularity rating plummet as a result — still has time to monitor, pursue and eliminate his political opponents.

I wonder: Why does that sound like someone else we all know?

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
7/18/26