From Toleration to Suppression of Opposition – Sky Bulletin

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When the murder of the charismatic opposition figure Boris Nemtsov occurred near the Kremlin in February 2015, over 50,000 people in Moscow gathered in protest without police intervention. Contrast this with the scene on February 16, years later, where those mourning the death of opposition activist Alexei Navalny faced riot police and numerous arrests. This marked the transition of Vladimir Putin’s Russia from a state that permitted limited dissent to one that crushes it without mercy.

Increasingly, anyone perceived as a threat to the regime, including activists, journalists, NGOs, LGBTQ+ individuals, and certain faith groups, has faced harsh reprisals. Oleg Orlov of Memorial, a rights organization tracking political prisoners, remarks, “Russia is no longer an authoritarian state – it is a totalitarian state.”

FILE - Russian police surround the body of Boris Nemtsov, a charismatic former deputy prime minister who was shot to death on a bridge just off Red Square, with St. Basil Cathidral in the background, in Moscow, Russia on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2015. His death brought thousands into the streets of Moscow, where they were allowed to protest unimpeded by police – unlike after the scene after the Feb. 16, 2024, death in prison of Alexei Navalny, a political foe of President Vladimir Putin. Mourners trying to lay flowers at makeshift memorials to Navalny were quickly arrested. (AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin, File)

Russian police surround the body of Boris Nemtsov, a former deputy prime minister, in Moscow, Russia on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2015. (AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin, File)

FILE - People lay flowers to honor Alexei Navalny, who died in prison on Feb. 16, 2024, at a monument to victims of Soviet repression in Moscow, Russia, on Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024. Over the last decade, Vladimir Putin's Russia evolved from a country that tolerates at least some dissent to one that ruthlessly suppresses it. Arrests, trials and long prison terms — once rare — are commonplace.(AP Photo, File)

People remember Alexei Navalny with flowers at a monument to victims of Soviet repression in Moscow, Russia, on Feb. 17, 2024. (AP Photo, File)

The once seemingly liberal post-Soviet era has given way to a climate of fear and repression, culminating in charges and lengthy imprisonments for those daring to criticize the Kremlin. Orlov himself faced a prison sentence following his condemnation of Russia’s military actions in Ukraine.

The Rise and Return of Repression in Post-Soviet Russia

The dissolution of the USSR provided a glimmer of hope for freedom, but with Putin’s ascendancy to power, that quickly diminished. Dissent began to be punished, starting with the silencing of media outlets like NTV and the targeting of influential figures like Mikhail Khodorkovsky. Khodorkovsky, who spent a decade in prison, observed that repression began even before his 2003 arrest.

FILE – Oil tycoon and Kremlin political opponent Mikhail Khodorkovsky, center, is seen in a defendants’ cage in court in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, Dec. 30, 2010, during a trial on financial crimes. Over the last decade, Vladimir Putin's Russia evolved from a country that tolerates at least some dissent to one that ruthlessly suppresses it. Arrests, trials and long prison terms — once rare — are commonplace. (AP Photo, File)

Mikhail Khodorkovsky, center, in court in Moscow, Russia, Dec. 30, 2010. (AP Photo, File)

The Pussy Riot case of 2012 was a stark example of the escalating crackdown, as members of the feminist punk group were sentenced to two years for their protest performance in a Moscow cathedral—an unheard-of punishment for such an act at the time.

An Era of Zero Tolerance for Dissent

Putin’s return to the presidency saw the implementation of restricting policies, and the annexation of Crimea in 2014 further solidified the regime’s hardline stance. Navalny’s return and subsequent imprisonment led to even more aggressive measures against opposition figures and their affiliates.

FILE - Alexei Navalny, center, attends a rally in Moscow, Russia, on Sunday, Jan. 28, 2018. Over the last decade, Vladimir Putin's Russia evolved from a country that tolerates at least some dissent to one that ruthlessly suppresses it. Arrests, trials and long prison terms — once rare — are commonplace. Navalny, a popular opposition figure, died in a remote Arctic prison on Feb. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Evgeny Feldman, File)

Alexei Navalny attends a rally in Moscow, Russia, Jan. 28, 2018. (AP Photo/Evgeny Feldman, File)

The COVID-19 pandemic further facilitated the prohibition of protests and the stifling of dissent. Any critique of the war in Ukraine led to a rapid increase in arrests and trials, affecting a broad spectrum of society, from artists to activists.

The War in Ukraine and a New Wave of Repression

The 2022 invasion of Ukraine brought new repressive laws that stamped out anti-war protests. High-profile critics like Navalny and Vladimir Kara-Murza faced extremely long sentences, while others suffered for lesser acts of opposition. Independent media outlets were blocked, though some continued to operate from abro

FAQ Section:

What was the reaction to Boris Nemtsov’s assassination in 2015?
Over 50,000 people in Moscow protested without police intervention, laying flowers and chanting anti-government slogans.
What is the difference in Russia’s treatment of dissent between 2015 and recent years?
Previously some dissent was tolerated, but now there is a ruthless suppression of any opposition, with frequent arrests, trials, and long prison terms.
What has happened to those who criticize the Russian military’s actions in Ukraine?
Critics face arrests, charges, and lengthy prison sentences. Oleg Orlov, for example, was sentenced to 2½ years in prison.
How has the number of political prisoners changed in Putin’s Russia?
Memorial estimates there are nearly 680 political prisoners in Russia, and other groups report higher numbers with additional cases under investigation or facing other forms of punishment.

Conclusion:

The evolution of Putin’s Russia from a state that tolerated limited dissent to one that forcefully suppresses it is a stark shift, characterized by a systematic crackdown on opposition figures, activists, and any form of protest. This trajectory is cemented by recent repressive legislation, particularly in the wake of the war in Ukraine, which has only further marginalized voices of dissent and solidified Putin’s hold on power.



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