1980s In 1988, Ponomaryov helped create the
human rights organization Memorial. In 1989, Ponomaryov filled the place of academic
Andrei Sakharov in the
Congress of People's Deputies of the Soviet Union after he died suddenly from a heart attack. Ponomaryov took part in the Coordination Council of Moscow Union of Electors and in the initiative group for the creation of the Civil Action Committee.
1990s In 1990, he was elected a People's Deputy of the
Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic. From 1990 to 1993, Lev Ponomaryov was a People's Deputy of the
Russian Federation; a member of the Council of Nationalities of the Supreme Soviet of the Russian Federation; a member of the Committee on Mass Media relating to public organizations, mass movement of citizen and public opinion research; and a member of the political movement
Democratic Russia and the deputies group Army Reform (
Reforma armii). In the autumn of 1991, he presided over the parliamentary commission for investigation of
GKChP activities and the
KGB’s role in the
1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt. In 1993, he lost the elections to the State Duma in a single-mandate constituency and in the list of the electoral union
Democratic Choice of Russia. Ponomaryov entered the Parliament only after the death of deputy
Vasilii Seliunin. From 1994 to 1996 Ponomaryov was a deputy of the State Duma, a member of the committees for
CIS Affairs and relations with nationalities. In 1997, Ponomaryov founded the Russian human rights society "For Human Rights" (
Za prava cheloveka), becoming its executive director and a member of the Council on Motion. Also in 1997, Ponomaryov was one of the founders of the "Hotline" (
Goriachaia liniia) and founded and is one of the most active members of the group Common Action (
Obshchee deistvie).
2020s On 28 December 2020, Ponomaryov was added to the list of media "
foreign agents" by the Russian government alongside four other persons. No reason however was provided as to why they were added to the list. On 30 January 2022, during the
prelude to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Ponomaryov led a public declaration published in
Echo of Moscow opposing the Russian threat to further invade Ukraine. By 7 February 5000 people had co-signed the declaration. After the
Russian invasion of Ukraine, he
left Russia and lives in exile in Paris. ==Decorations and awards==