Russian Communist politician fined over Navalny photo, likely barring him from election

A Russian court in Saratov fined former regional lawmaker Nikolai Bondarenko 1,000 rubles ($12) on Aug. 21 for allegedly displaying "extremist symbols" over a photograph of late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny.

Bondarenko, a member of Russia’s Communist Party (KPRF) and a former deputy in the Saratov Oblast legislature, was charged under Article 20.3 of Russia’s Administrative Offenses Code, the legal aid project Slovo Zashchite reported.

The case concerned a 2024 post featuring a photograph of Navalny in the Telegram channel Nikolai Bondarenko Live. Bondarenko said he had no role in administering the channel.

Bondarenko had planned to run for Russia’s State Duma on the Communist Party ticket. A conviction under Article 20.3, however, can make a person ineligible to stand in elections for one year, potentially preventing him from participating in the upcoming parliamentary vote.

Bondarenko reportedly intends to appeal the decision. According to him, during the hearing, the defense pointed out that the content attributed to him had been edited and was not created by the politician himself. The appeal is expected in 10 days.

Russian authorities have used similar charges against other politicians ahead of the election.

Anti-war politician Boris Nadezhdin was fined 1,000 rubles in July under the same administrative article after a video linked from his social media accounts briefly showed a photograph of Navalny. The fine, together with his designation as a "foreign agent," prevented Nadezhdin from running in the parliamentary election.

Nadezhdin gained prominence in 2024 when he sought to challenge Russian President Vladimir Putin on an anti-war platform. He emerged as the only presidential hopeful openly campaigning against Russia’s war in Ukraine before election authorities barred him from the ballot after rejecting thousands of signatures submitted in support of his candidacy.

Russian authorities barred Nadezhdin from leaving the country in July. Nadezhdin later said the restriction disappeared from Russia’s state services portal on July 21, allowing him to go to Kazakhstan. On Aug. 3, he published a video from Paris announcing that he was outside the country.