In a latest move to crackdown on dissent in Russia, the authorities have declared a former presidential hopeful, a prominent human rights advocate, and others as “foreign agents.” This designation, introduced in 2012 following mass protests, aims to target organizations, media, and individuals critical of the Kremlin. Among those designated are Yekaterina Duntsova, a former regional legislator who sought to run against President Vladimir Putin, prisoner rights advocate Maria Litvinovich, and the Way Home movement that campaigns for bringing mobilized Russian soldiers back from Ukraine.
The campaign of repression has intensified since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, with any criticism of the war effectively criminalized. Duntsova and Litvinovich have been vocal in their anti-war stance, while the Way Home movement has staged protests demanding the discharge of reservists called up in the 2022 mobilization. The crackdown not only targets prominent opposition figures but anyone who speaks out against the war.
The designation of these individuals and organizations as “foreign agents” carries additional government scrutiny and aims to discredit them. This latest move highlights the escalating tension in Russia as dissent is increasingly suppressed in the wake of Moscow’s actions in Ukraine. The Kremlin’s ongoing campaign of repression shows no signs of slowing down, with critics of the government facing harsh consequences for voicing their opposition.
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