Russian Anti-War Candidate Banned from Presidential Election

Russian presidential challenger Boris Nadezhdin, a critic of Vladimir Putin and the war in Ukraine, has been banned from standing in the upcoming election next month. The Central Election Commission claimed to have found flaws in the signatures collected in support of his candidacy, leading to his disqualification. Nadezhdin plans to appeal the decision, stating that participating in the election is the most important political decision of his life. The ban is seen as part of a broader crackdown on dissent in Russia, with other prominent critics, such as Alexei Navalny, also facing repression.