Russia Tightens Grip: Anti‑War Blogger in Court, Politician Fined

Sun Sep 06 2026 08:56:24 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Russian police detain a former Putin supporter and ban an anti‑war politician, tightening control over dissent.

Russian officials again tightened ties to control political dissent by detaining blogger Ilya Remeslo and fining anti‑war politician Boris Nadezhdin. Remeslo, a former supporter of Vladimir Putin, was jailed for two months over a March 2026 blog that branded the president a war criminal, fitting into Russia’s broader strategy of silencing critics. Nadezhdin, who has spent years running for office on a peace platform, was fined 1,000 roubles and barred from collecting signatures for the upcoming parliamentary elections after a court found his “extremist symbols” case. The moves come as opposition voices shrink, with few politicians left in Russia after the exile of most and the death of Alexei Navalny.

Russia Tightens Grip: Anti‑War Blogger in Court, Politician Fined

Ilya Remeslo, a blogger who once championed Vladimir Putin, turned around last March, labeling him a war criminal after the invasion of Ukraine. Russian authorities held him in pre‑trial detention for two months on charges of spreading false information about the military. Meanwhile, former MP Boris Nadezhdin, known for his anti‑war platform, was convicted of displaying extremist symbols, a verdict that bars him from gathering signatures for the upcoming parliament election and fines him 1,000 roubles.

Nadezhdin claimed the move was an attempt to silence his political voice. Both cases are part of a broader crackdown that has left few genuine opposition politicians in Russia, following the exile of most and the reported death of Alexei Navalny.

Recent polls suggest Vladimir Putin’s approval may be slipping, with ratings dropping to 66‑65% in July, hinting that upcoming political pressures could test the Kremlin’s hold on power.

Read the full BBC report »