By The Moscow Times | Created at 2025-04-03 15:15:20 | Updated at 2025-04-04 10:07:24
19 hours ago
A Russian court declared former presidential hopeful Boris Nadezhdin bankrupt over past campaign debt, the Kommersant business newspaper reported Thursday.
Nadezhdin, 61, sought to challenge President Vladimir Putin in the March 2024 presidential race on an anti-war platform but was barred from running. Though unsuccessful, his short-lived campaign drew support from Russians opposed to the invasion of Ukraine despite a wartime crackdown on dissent.
In May 2024, Rosenergobank — which itself went bankrupt in 2017 — petitioned a Moscow arbitration court to declare Nadezhdin bankrupt. The politician resigned as a municipal deputy in the Moscow region the following month.
The court ruled that Nadezhdin owed Rosenergobank 77.4 million rubles ($920,500), including interest and penalties, Kommersant reported. His assets have reportedly been seized, except for a personal vehicle.
Nadezhdin told the newspaper that his bank accounts were blocked and that he expected spending limits to be imposed.
According to Kommersant, Rosenergobank’s former owner loaned Nadezhdin $200,000 in 2011 to finance his now-defunct party in that year’s legislative elections. The party, Right Cause, placed last out of seven parties.
Russia’s state-run Deposit Insurance Agency took over the loan after Rosenergobank’s collapse and in May 2024 petitioned the Moscow arbitration court to seek 112 million rubles from Nadezhdin, Kommersant reported.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Continue
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.
