Putin Cracks Down on Dissent in Russia
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Putin's Russia has evolved from tolerating some dissent to ruthlessly suppressing it through arrests, trials, and long prison terms.
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The Kremlin targets political opponents, rights groups, independent media, civil society groups, LGBTQ+ activists, and certain religious groups.
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Repression intensified after Putin's 2012 re-election and annexation of Crimea, with laws restricting protests and online dissent.
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The 2022 Ukraine invasion brought new laws stifling anti-war sentiment, with hundreds of arrests and long sentences.
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The system seeks to keep people in fear, but doesn't always succeed, as seen in recent defiant protests against the war and for Navalny.