A court in Saratov fined State Duma candidate Nikolai Bondarenko of the Communist Party 1,000 rubles under an administrative statute covering the display of “symbols of an extremist organization.” The case was based on a post that contained a photograph of Alexei Navalny.
Such an administrative conviction bars Bondarenko from running in elections for one year.
The Communist Party says the post appeared on an account that did not belong to Bondarenko. He also denied having any connection to the channel and said he intended to appeal the ruling.