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In the midst of the war against Ukraine, Russia is cracking down on free media at home. Journalists and activists are appalled. And ordinary citizens are looking for ways to get hold of non-government information in a roundabout way.
Even before the war in Ukraine, Russia was certainly not considered a paradise for press freedom. The largest country in the world was ranked 150th out of 180 in the index of the organization Reporters Without Borders – still ahead of countries such as Belarus, China and North Korea. But now the Russian authorities are tightening the thumbscrew significantly.
According to a new law, those who spread alleged “false information” about Russia’s army face up to 15 years in prison. Facebook and Twitter are blocked. Close critical portals and transmitters. Several foreign media – such as ARD, ZDF, the British BBC or we at SRF – are temporarily suspending reporting from Russia.
If you believe Kremlin boss Vladimir Putin, everything is going “according to plan” in the “special military operation” in Ukraine – despite the 498 compatriots who, according to official information, have been killed so far. If you believe the state television, the Russian soldiers in the neighboring country are fighting bravely and considering the “neo-Nazis” in Kyiv and “liberating” the Donbass. Putin justifies the war of aggression condemned by the West by saying that he wants to protect the people in eastern Ukraine from alleged attacks by Ukrainian nationalists in the government troops.
«Russia was covered with real censorship»
Repressions against media workers are not new in Russia, says writer and journalist Alisa Ganiyeva of the German Press Agency. “But it was the invasion of Ukraine that set the stage for a rapid, hyper-accelerated growth of oppression and dictatorship in the country.” The disappearance of critical voices is a “huge catastrophe,” complains the 36-year-old. “Russia has been covered with real censorship.” The consequences are serious: “Millions of people who have been poisoned by the powerful poison of Putin’s propaganda are now left without an antidote.”
Millions of people, poisoned by the powerful poison of Putin’s propaganda, are now left with no remedy.
It is becoming increasingly difficult, especially for older Russians who are not Internet-savvy, to obtain independent information. On social networks, the remaining critical media publish instructions on how to set up and use alternative connections or browsers in order to be able to access their blocked pages after all. On Instagram, users post lists of proven VPN providers (“Virtual Private Network”) and offer their fellow human beings help with the technical implementation.
8,000 arrested at anti-war demonstrations in Russia
Telegram has become the most important social media platform, especially for young Russians, where blocked media can continue to spread their content. Telegram co-founder Pawel Durow recently stated that he does not want to limit this source of information, which is now the only source of information for many.
A 26-year-old Muscovite, who regularly takes to the streets against Putin’s actions, says that she now keeps a constant eye on the channels of activists and lawyers on Telegram. “It’s the fastest way to find out what’s happening in the city and how not to get into danger during a protest.” According to civil rights activists, more than 8,000 people have been arrested nationwide in the past few days at officially banned anti-war demonstrations.
Telegram is the quickest way to find out what’s happening in the city and how to stay out of harm’s way at a protest.
Meanwhile, author Ganiyeva paints a bleak picture of her country’s future: “I fear that we will soon have to make a terrible choice: either remain silent and retract our own earlier words, or go to prison, or try to go into inner emigration, into a kind of parallel language.» The current developments marked the end of a post-Soviet era with hopes for a freer Russia, she says.