Tag

Crackdown On Dissent

All articles tagged with #crackdown on dissent

human-rights2 years ago

Remembering the Victims: Russians and Western Diplomats Unite to Honor Soviet Terror Victims

Russians and Western diplomats honored the victims of Soviet state terror at the Returning of the Names event organized by human rights group Memorial. The event, traditionally held in Moscow, was refused a permit by authorities citing the "epidemiological situation." Instead, Muscovites and Western ambassadors laid flowers at the Solovetsky Stone memorial under police watch. Memorial, which was ordered to close by Moscow authorities, continues its human rights activities. Meanwhile, Russian prosecutors seek a three-year prison sentence for Memorial co-chair Oleg Orlov, who was fined and convicted of publicly discrediting the Russian military for denouncing the invasion of Ukraine.

human-rights2 years ago

Stalin's Victims Remembered as Dissent Faces Crackdown in Russia

Russians commemorated the victims of Stalinist terror at the Returning the Names event organized by Memorial, a rights and historical memory group that was shut down before Moscow launched its military campaign in Ukraine. The event, which involves reading out the names of people executed during Stalin's Terror, was banned from being held at the central Lubyanka Square. Instead, participants gathered at symbolic places associated with dissidents in Moscow and other Russian cities, as well as in European cities where Russian dissidents have fled. The event comes as Memorial reports a growing number of political prisoners in Russia, with thousands of Russians being detained, jailed, or fined for opposing the conflict in Ukraine.

human-rights2 years ago

Putin critic Kara-Murza isolated in Siberian prison

Russian opposition figure Vladimir Kara-Murza Jr., who was sentenced to 25 years in prison for treason, has been transferred to a maximum security prison in Siberia. His lawyer expressed concern for his health as he suffers from a nerve condition due to two poisoning attempts. The transfer took less than three weeks, which is unusually fast for Russian prison transfers. Kara-Murza's case is part of the Kremlin's crackdown on dissent, and his supporters have called for his release.

politics2 years ago

Kara-Murza, Putin Critic, Sentenced to Siberian Penal Colony

Russian opposition politician Vladimir Kara-Murza, who was sentenced to 25 years on treason charges and for criticizing Moscow's Ukraine offensive, has been brought to a maximum-security Siberian prison to serve his punishment. Kara-Murza, a dual Russian-British citizen, was placed in an isolation cell upon arrival. His lawyers and family have expressed concerns about his fragile health due to a nerve condition caused by two poisoning attempts. The lengthy sentence and crackdown on dissent highlight the ongoing repression of opposition figures in Russia.

human-rights2 years ago

Caught in the Jail 'Carousel': The Persecution of Russia's War Critics

Critics of Russia's war in Ukraine are being caught in a "carousel" of arrests, with individuals being detained multiple times for minor offenses. This practice, known as carousel arrests, is used by Russian authorities to curb dissent and buy time to build more serious criminal cases against war critics. The crackdown on criticism of the conflict in Ukraine has intensified, with laws tightened to punish public dissent. Critics can face imprisonment for crimes such as discrediting the army or spreading fake news about alleged Russian atrocities. Human rights lawyers and rights groups have raised concerns about the growing pressure on opposition-minded and anti-war activists in Russia.

human-rights2 years ago

Russian Writer Dmitry Glukhovsky Receives 8-Year Prison Sentence for Criticizing Army, While High-Ranking ROC Priest in Ukraine Faces 5-Year Jail Term

Russian writer Dmitry Glukhovsky has been sentenced to eight years in prison for spreading false information about Russia's armed forces. Glukhovsky, who was tried in absentia, is known for his science fiction series and is the latest artist to face punishment in Russia's crackdown on dissent. The court found him guilty of posting texts and videos accusing Russian servicemen of crimes in Ukraine. This comes after opposition leader Alexei Navalny was convicted and sentenced to 19 years in prison on extremism charges. Navalny's spokeswoman also announced that he has been placed in solitary confinement for two weeks.

politics2 years ago

Navalny's Jail Time Extended to 19 Years: Putin's Fear of Dissent Grows

Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny has been sentenced to 19 years in prison on extremism charges, adding to his existing 11-and-a-half-year sentence on fraud charges. Navalny and his supporters claim that his arrest and imprisonment are politically motivated, aimed at silencing his criticism of President Vladimir Putin. The verdict comes amid an intensifying crackdown on dissent in Russia, raising concerns about the treatment of Putin's opponents. The European Union has condemned Navalny's sentence, expressing deep concern about reports of ill-treatment and harassment by prison authorities. Navalny had previously been poisoned with the nerve agent Novichok, with a joint investigation implicating the Russian Security Service (FSB) in the attack.

politics2 years ago

Navalny's New Trial Threatens Decades of Imprisonment.

Jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny appeared before a Russian court to defend himself against new charges of extremism that could extend his prison term by decades. Navalny contested the authority of the Moscow city court judge to try him in a penal colony far from the capital and demanded that his parents be allowed inside the hearing. The Kremlin denies trying to break him to silence his criticism of President Vladimir Putin. Russia has outlawed Navalny’s campaign organisation as part of a crackdown on dissent that started well before the conflict in Ukraine and has intensified in the nearly 16 months since it started.

politics2 years ago

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.

crime2 years ago

Russian woman sentenced for note on Putin's parents' grave

A Russian court has given a two-year suspended sentence to a woman who left a note on the grave of President Vladimir Putin's parents, calling them "parents of a maniac" and accusing them of raising a "freak and a killer." The court found Irina Tsybaneva guilty of desecrating burial places motivated by political hatred. Since Putin sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022, the government has waged a crackdown on dissent unseen since the Soviet era.

world-news2 years ago

Russia's Crackdown on Dissent: An Inside Look

Since making it a crime to oppose the war in public, Russia has been waging a relentless campaign of repression, putting Russian citizens in jail for offenses as small as holding a poster or sharing a news article on social media. The story of Olesya Krivtsova, a 19-year-old student who faces up to 10 years in prison after posting on social media, underlines the perils of using social media to criticize the war in Ukraine. The Russian government is determined to silence those who oppose the war.