A censorship law that made it illegal to criticize the army was passed by President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia just days after invading Ukraine. The law resulted in more than 6,500 arrests or fines, with even minor acts such as wearing blue and yellow–the colors of the Ukrainian flag, or making private remarks about the war being punishable.
A variety of people, including schoolteachers, pensioners, and carwash owners, were arrested or fined as a result of the censorship law. The statistics revealed an alarming trend: 350 cases per month on average, and 13 cases per day. From greeting on social media to graffiti, a wide range of expressions of displeasure with the state’s actions have been prosecuted.
As a result of the newly enacted law, 6,500 cases of people being arrested or fined were summarized in a New York Times analysis. Although the arrests affect only a small percentage of the population, the government’s reach and the extent of this censorship are astonishing. Anything from a remark made over the phone to a conversation in a cafe can constitute a breach of the law, and it is not only a few individuals who are made an example of, but rather a widespread suppression of dissent.
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