Nikolai Bondarenko’s participation in the State Duma elections was blocked by a vote of Russia’s Central Election Commission on Monday. The commission removed the Communist Party candidate’s name from the ballot, citing his conviction for displaying “extremist” symbols as the basis for its decision.
Bondarenko was detained and fined last month over an old social media post featuring a photograph of Russian opposition activist Alexei Navalny. His defense team argued that the post had been made from an account that did not belong to Bondarenko.
A judge rejected an appeal against the conviction and fine last week. Russian election laws prohibit people convicted of “extremism” from running for public office for one year.
The Communist Party argued that Bondarenko’s candidacy was blocked because the authorities “feared” him.
Bondarenko’s political background
Bondarenko, a former Saratov regional legislator, has more than 2 million YouTube subscribers. He became known across the country for his blunt and forceful criticism of the 2018 pension reform.
Bondarenko built a large following on social media while serving in the Saratov regional assembly from 2017 to 2021. During that period, he conducted an experiment in which he tried to live on a monthly pension of 3,500 rubles; the experiment was widely shared on social media.
His populist rhetoric, effective use of social media and harsh criticism of the ruling United Russia party helped him gain Navalny’s support. Navalny once described Bondarenko as his “favorite” regional legislator.
Lost his seat in 2022
Bondarenko lost his seat in the Saratov regional assembly in 2022. Prosecutors alleged that he had failed to declare advertising revenue and user donations generated through his YouTube channel.
Bondarenko’s exclusion from the elections came after similar cases in which candidates faced charges that could prevent them from seeking public office. On the same day, the chairman of the liberal Yabloko party in Yekaterinburg was also detained and charged over allegations that he had displayed “extremist” symbols in old social media posts.
