Russia is once again resorting to its familiar pre-election playbook: independent candidates are being systematically removed from the race using legal provisions that automatically strip them of the right to run. The formal justification is almost always the same — “discrediting the army” or “displaying extremist symbols.”
In Ufa, police accused Denis Malyshev, a candidate for the city council from the “Civil Union” movement, of “discrediting the army.” The post that allegedly became the basis for the case has never been found by anyone. Earlier, activists from the same organization had already faced attempts to accuse them of organizing an “unauthorized rally,” although the event was merely a signature-collection campaign.
In Tomsk Region, another party member, Anton Isakov, was similarly prevented from participating in regional Duma elections. He was sentenced to 15 days of administrative arrest for allegedly “displaying extremist symbols” — in reality, for using the Facebook logo. Immediately afterward, he faced another court hearing over a post published in 2017. Two administrative penalties in a row automatically block a candidate from appearing on the ballot — which was precisely the purpose of the procedure.
Pressure has also affected the oldest opposition party, Yabloko. The election commission identified violations in 25 out of 412 submitted candidate applications, giving lawyers only a few days to correct the documents. Some candidates have already withdrawn voluntarily: Maxim Petlin, head of the Sverdlovsk regional branch, and physicist Grey Boltachov officially withdrew their candidacies due to constant pressure from security services.
At the same time, police disrupted a meeting with voters organized by Yekaterina Duntsova, founder of the “Rassvet” party. The incident fits into a broader pattern: any attempt at independent political activity in Russia encounters a repressive apparatus that operates faster and more effectively than any electoral commission.
As a result, independent candidates in Russia’s regions are facing not so much a competitive electoral contest as a systematic pressure campaign designed to prevent their participation before the official campaign even begins. Fines over years-old social media posts, arbitrary arrests, and administrative cases have become a standard yet effective tool for clearing the ballot before elections start.
