Boris Nadezhdin, a prominent Russian anti-war politician and critic of President Vladimir Putin, says he has fled Russia for Paris. Several outlets report that he posted a video from in front of the Eiffel Tower, stating that he is “alive and free,” but not yet in Russia. The reporting links his departure to a broader tightening of state control over dissent ahead of parliamentary elections later this year. Nadezhdin is described as having drawn attention internationally after seeking to challenge Putin in the 2024 presidential election, before electoral authorities moved to bar him from running. Other accounts add that he was detained outside Moscow and subsequently blocked from taking part in the September parliamentary elections. One outlet also notes that he was designated a foreign agent. Across the coverage, critics of the Kremlin face severe restrictions, with many reportedly jailed, driven into exile, or otherwise silenced, and Nadezhdin’s exit is presented as part of that wider pattern. The sources provide consistent details about his move to France and his public message from Paris.