Nikolai Bondarenko, a candidate for deputy of the State Duma from the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, was detained in Saratov.

Today, on August 21, a candidate for State Duma deputy, former deputy of the local regional Duma from the Communist Party of the Russian Federation Nikolai Bondarenko was detained in Saratov.

The telegram channel "Diary of a deputy" posted a photo of Bondarenko behind prison bars.

The politician told Vedomosti that he was taken to Oktyabrsky district court of the city.

Bondarenko clarified that he was charged with Article 20.3 of the Administrative Code of the Russian Federation (public display of Nazi paraphernalia or symbols, or attributes or symbols of extremist organizations, or other attributes or symbols, propaganda or public display of which is prohibited by federal laws).

"I was detained, 10 police officers were forcibly taken to court," he said.

Bondarenko heads the united territorial electoral group, which includes Udmurtia and Perm Krai, for the State Duma elections in 2026.

In July 2025, he was elected a member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, in November he was appointed chairman of the Expert Council at the Central Committee of the Communist Party on information technology. He was a deputy of the Saratov Regional Duma of the VI convocation, but in 2022 he was prematurely deprived of his mandate due to the prosecutor's office's claims to the declaration of income from the YouTube channel.

During the presidential elections of 2024, he was a confidant of the Communist Party candidate Nikolai Kharitonov.