Victims of Russia's Crackdown on Dissent: Personal Stories.

Russia's crackdown on dissent has intensified since the invasion of Ukraine, with citizens risking decades in prison for previously permissible acts such as denouncing the government and army on social media, making political speeches, and criticizing the war in private. The number of political cases is snowballing, with students, an essayist, a theater director, and a former police officer among those sentenced to years in prison. Nearly 20,000 people have been detained for opposing the war, and at least 537 people, including children and pensioners, have been charged criminally. The spike in repression and treason cases has been followed by the arrest of U.S. journalist Evan Gershkovich in March on espionage charges.