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Following the surrender of Nazi Germany and the effective end of World War II, the relationship between wartime allies, the United States and the Soviet Union, began to unravel. To ensure the dedication of its citizens, the USSR turned to authoritarian censorship and anti-western propaganda. Any art, media, or creative expression that critiqued the Soviet Union or its leaders was repressed and countered with malicious and deceptive falsehoods.
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On December 12, 1993, the Constitution of the Russian Federation was officially adopted and put into law. Within contain many articles dedicated to preserving human rights, including several dedicated to preserving the freedom of speech and ideation. While amendments have been made to the constitution, they have been made with the intention of allowing Vladimir Putin's presidency to continue. Image: By Kremlin.ru, CC BY 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5540905 -
On December 31, 1999, President Boris Yeltsin of Russia unexpectedly resigned, and the current prime minister of Russia, Vladimir Putin, stepped into the presidency, ushering in a new era for Russia. Further Analysis Image: By Kremlin.ru, CC BY 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=67389252 -
In the image adjacent, Russian citizens protest new internet privacy laws that threaten the freedom of the internet in Russia. Most recently, the Russian government released a new set of laws governing the compensation that citizens of Russia can receive for their online works. If they receive any financial compensation from outside sources, they must declare themselves as foreign agents, a limiting factor in the spread of information in Russia. -
On Feb. 4, 2021, Aleksei Navalny gave a speech from a small courtroom in Russia. Navalny was convicted in 2014 and sentenced to three years on probation. Despite his sentencing, Russia has completely violated the human rights they claim they hold so dearly by imprisoning Navalny for almost six years. His speech demanded his release and explained the Russian situation. Further Analysis -
On March 10, 2021, Twitter users in Russia experience a drastic slowdown in service. The halt was in response to Twitter's refusal to take down certain posts the Russian Federation deemed "illegal." This was the first instance of Russia utilizing its newfound internet censorship and control technology. Further Analysis Image: (https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-56344304)