Russia Crushes Dissent as Putin s System Ramps Up Repression – WSJ

Already shrinking before the Ukraine war, the space for dissent and freedom of expression has all but vanished in Russia. 

The latest sign came on Friday with the wrongful conviction of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich of spying following a hurried closed-door trial that the U.S. government has condemned as a sham. Gershkovich, who was afforded few of the protections normally accorded to defendants in Western countries, was sentenced to 16 years in a high-security penal colony, adding to the number of imprisoned Americans that Russian President Vladimir Putin could exchange in return for high-value Russians held in the West.

Russian authorities have produced no public evidence to support their allegations, which Gershkovich, the Journal and the U.S. government have vehemently and repeatedly denied. The 32-year-old journalist was accredited as a foreign correspondent by Russia s foreign ministry.

The death and imprisonment of Kremlin critics, the adoption of new repressive legislation, the muzzling of journalists and a tightening noose on the internet has fostered a climate of fear and self-censorship in Russia. Authorities have targeted ordinary citizens, with many facing fines and lengthy imprisonment for merely voicing opposition to the war or challenging the official narrative.

via www.wsj.com