Russia is training Iran how to crush protests, White House warns
Daily MailJUN 2022
The Spin
Anti-Russia narrative
Though millions of Russians are opposed to the Ukraine war, Makichyan's public protests were a rare sight — especially since Putin decided to invade Ukraine and criminalize dissent. This is another example of Russia's Soviet-style crackdown, aimed at instilling fear in those who oppose the regime.
Pro-Russia narrative
The West may claim that Makichyan is a victim of a uniquely Russian form of suppression, but other countries revoke dual citizenship status for taking a pro-Russia stance in the Ukraine war. Moldova, for example, has threatened its Russian dual citizens with prison time or citizenship revocation if they choose to fight for Russia.
Metaculus Prediction
There is a 50% chance that at least 21.3K Russian citizens will be arrested for participating in anti-war protests before 2023, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
