The Saratov Regional Court rejected the appeal of Communist Party of the Russian Federation State Duma candidate Nikolai Bondarenko, who had previously been fined and removed from the ballot over the alleged display of “extremist” symbols. The Moscow Times reports, UNN writes.
Details
The case was based on the publication of a photograph of Alexei Navalny on the Telegram channel “Nikolai Bondarenko Live.” Bondarenko himself denies any connection to the channel and called the court hearing a “theater of the absurd.”
According to him, the court did not establish who actually owned the Telegram channel, and indirect evidence proved sufficient for the ruling. The politician said he intends to challenge the decision with Russia’s Central Election Commission.
Who is Nikolai Bondarenko
Bondarenko has been a member of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation for 17 years, and from 2017 to 2022 he was a deputy of the Saratov Regional Duma. His YouTube channel has more than 2.1 million subscribers, and the politician is known for criticizing the Russian authorities.
After Bondarenko was detained on August 21, rallies in his support took place in five regions of Russia. The largest rally was held in the Tyumen Region, where nearly 100 people gathered.
Bondarenko had previously been detained at a rally in support of Navalny; in 2022, he was stripped of his deputy mandate over YouTube income, and later the Russian authorities blocked or restricted access to his resources.