In a move that further solidifies President Vladimir Putin's path to re-election, Russian election authorities rejected the candidacy of antiwar politician Boris Nadezhdin. The decision, made by the Central Election Commission, sends a clear message that the Kremlin will not tolerate any public opposition to the invasion of Ukraine.
Nadezhdin, a local legislator near Moscow, was required to gather a minimum of 100,000 signatures from supporters to be considered a candidate. However, the commission declared that over 9,000 of the signatures submitted by Nadezhdin's campaign were invalid, surpassing the 5% threshold for disqualification. Despite his disqualification, Nadezhdin plans to appeal the decision in court.
