Russia jails Navalny campaigner Lilia Chanysheva for ‘extremism’
Al JazeeraAPR 2023
Russia: Alexei Navalny Associate Vadim Ostanin Sentenced to Prison
Image copyright: Wikimedia Commons
The Spin
Pro-Russia narrative
The outrage in the West over the internal affairs of Russia speaks to the vested interest they have in Navalny and his allies. Alexei Navalny's organization was labeled extremist as a result of the backing his efforts to destabilize Russian society garner from Western governments. These are so extensive that the government has labeled Navalny a foreign agent. Russia has every right to restrict those meddling on behalf of a foreign regime.
Anti-Russia narrative
Under Putin, Moscow has taken extreme measures to wipe out opposition in Russia, starting with the most prominent anti-Kremlin leader and his associates. The world cannot just stand by and watch as the legal system is weaponized to lock up every opponent to Putin's dictatorial regime. We cannot allow the Russian government to silence the strongest pro-democracy advocates left in the country.