Russia - The Hour Of The Crow - Censorship, Propaganda, and Repression

Russia - The Hour Of The Crow - Censorship, Propaganda, and Repression by Daniel Arrhakis (2022)

By proposal of the Russian president Vladimir Putin the State Duma passed a law introducing punishment for spreading fake news about the Russian Armed Forces and the military operation in Ukraine, statements that discredit the armed forces, and calls for sanctions on Russia.

The bill envisions penalties of up to 10 years in prison for individuals convicted of the offense. The penalty for the distribution of "false news" about the Russian Army that leads to "serious consequences" rises to up to 15 years in prison.

Some time ago under Russian legislation the Kremlin’s powerful FSB spy agency is able to intercept domestic telephone calls and can collect emails, texts and other data.

Russian law compels mobile phone providers to install special equipment which allows the agency to conduct remote eavesdropping using a system known as SORM.

The pressure grows on social media platforms to deal in conformity with their government’s national interests while mitigating the financial interests damages. As the conflict in Ukraine escalates, many of the social networks like Google, Twitter, Facebook have been locked down or restricted as numerous international media outlets such as the BBC, CNN International, ABC News, CBS News, Bloomberg, etc., stopped airing in Russia.

In recent times, the situation has worsened, with reports of random approaches in public places, transports in which agents ask to check mobile phones and, in particular, the messages or applications installed by citizens.

Facing repression and instability at home, able Russians especially young people and an educated middle class head for the exit to other countries like Turkey, Armenia, Finland and other neighboring countries.

Putin himself has welcomed the fact so many who don’t agree with his war have fled, calling it a “cleansing” of society -
“The Russian people will always be able to distinguish true patriots from scum and traitors, and will simply spit them out like a gnat that flew into their mouth” - he claimed in a fiery speech at an organized rally at March 16 of 2022.

This fiery rhetoric doesn’t convince anyone, much less with an arranged rally in which teachers were instigated to take the students to the effect! The desperation of Putin is so great that teachers were coerced into taking students to the stadium rally with threats of dismissal if they didn’t!

If before the tea with the Aeroflot stewardesses that resembled a scene from Alice in Wonderland was already ridiculous, now the supposed support of thousands of young people who do not have access to social networks is really surreal !!

The situation is such that Russian State TV Cuts Putin’s Speech Mid-Sentence in the rally, later claiming it was a technical problem!
Yes indeed Putin is more than a huge “technical problem”, he is a real danger to the world, including to its own people!

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Work made with stock images from Pexels and images of mine in a creative intriguing mysterious mood and scene.

Clock from Krivec Ales in Pexels (CC0) :

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Sculpture from cottonbro in pexels (CC0) :

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Man with mobile phone from Andrea Piacquadio in Pexels (CC0) :

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Background from Artem Korsakov in Pexels (CC0) :

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Taken on: August 30, 2021

Sets appears in: • The Last Days Of Putin

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