Nikolai Bondarenko, a Communist Party candidate for Russia’s parliament, is arrested over a Navalny photo tied to an ‘extremist symbols’ charge
Police in Saratov detained Nikolai Bondarenko, a Communist Party (KPRF) candidate for Russia’s State Duma and a former lawmaker in the Saratov regional legislature, on Friday, August 21.
Nikolai Bondarenko, a Communist Party candidate for Russia’s parliament, has been arrested over a photo related to an 'extremist symbols' charge. The arrest took place in Saratov on August 21, 2025, with Bondarenko stating he was charged under an administrative statute covering the display of extremist symbols. The case stems from a 2024 social media post featuring a photo of opposition politician Alexey Navalny, which was made from an account not belonging to Bondarenko, according to Yuri Afonin, first deputy chairman of the KPRF’s Central Committee.
An administrative penalty under the 'extremist symbols' statute would disqualify Bondarenko from running for the State Duma, the lower house of Russia’s parliament.
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