Rare images: hundreds of Muscovites lined up on Monday to support a former liberal MP, who is collecting signatures to become the “peace
”
candidate against Vladimir Putin in the presidential election in March.
Since Saturday and despite freezing cold, thousands of Russians have lined up to give their initials to Boris Nadejdine.
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The former elected official, who worked in the liberal opposition but also in movements more aligned with the authorities, says he is opposed to the Russian offensive in Ukraine.
On Sunday, during a debate with Russian journalist Yulia Latynina on YouTube, he reaffirmed: “
the first thing I will do: I call for peace and I put an end to the mobilization
.”
In recent months, he had proclaimed that the country must “
elect a new president
” and called the intervention in Ukraine a “
fatal mistake
” by Vladimir Putin.
To compete in the presidential election, he must first collect 100,000 voter signatures before January 31.
Its site claims to have nearly 85,000 as of Monday evening.
His public positions are an exception in Russia, where almost all political figures opposed to the assault on Ukraine had to flee the country or were imprisoned, just like thousands of anonymous people.
And all the other presidential candidates have expressed support not only for the Russian offensive but for Vladimir Putin himself.
A queue forms in front of Boris Nadejdine's campaign offices in Moscow on January 22.
ALEXANDER NEMENOV / AFP
Support “without fear of being arrested”
A 19-year-old biotechnology student, Ivan Semionov, says he came to sign in favor of Boris Nadejdine because he was “
moved by these astonishing images broadcast this weekend on social networks, showing so many people coming to support (him).
" by thousands.
“
For many people it is the possibility of expressing their disagreement with what is happening, without fear of being arrested or sacked
,” explains the young man.
Originally from Omsk, in western Siberia, nurse Natalia Avdeïeva, passing through Moscow, rushed to the opponent's electoral office.
She said she was “
pleasantly surprised
” to see such a crowd.
“
We are all united here to support a candidate opposed to the special operation
,” said the 53-year-old woman, using the euphemism required to talk about the conflict.
Boris Nadejdine, January 14 in Saint Petersburg.
OLGA MALTSEVA / AFP
Liberal deputy in the Duma, the lower house of Parliament, in the early 2000s, Boris Nadejdine was close to the opponent Boris Nemtsov, assassinated in 2015. In recent years, he had become closer to political groups closer to the Kremlin , without completely following the line.
Vladimir Putin, in power for almost a quarter of a century, is expected to be re-elected once again to the Kremlin in mid-March.