Don't criticize Putin, or else.

[Rex Kwon Do]

On March 4, Olga Li, a deputy in the Kursk oblast parliament, released a video appeal to Vladimir Putin, harshly criticizing the president's domestic and foreign policies, saying he has led Russia to financial collapse. In her YouTube video, Li also referred to a “conspiracy at the highest echelons of power” against the Russian people.

She also said his approval rating in Kursk oblast doesn't exceed 25% and that he is suppressing the rule of law in the country.

Today, Kursk's District Attorney formally charged Li with libel, saying she wrote a newspaper article last fall where she accused a local judge of making several illegal rulings. (The judge reportedly complained to the police, in response.)

Li says she was informed of the charges yesterday at a session of Kursk's parliament, where deputies from the country's leading parties expressed their dissatisfaction that she “insults Putin” and refuses to “support the union of Crimea and Russia.”

Source (eng): https://meduza.io/en/news/2016/03/2...with-libel-after-criticizing-putin-on-youtube
Source (ru): http://echo.msk.ru/news/1735720-echo.html

So here's the summary: 6+ months ago a member of the oblast parliament (think state legislature, not federal legislature) criticizes a judge for making illegal rulings. He files a complaint, nothing comes of it. And why should it? That's hardly a crime. At least not outside of North Korea and a few other shitty places.

Fast forward to 3 weeks ago. She puts a video on Youtube that is harshly critical of Putin. Now she's about to be charged for that ancient "crime" of criticizing a judge. Convenient timing, eh?

It's pretty clear this is intimidation: Don't criticize Putin or the annexation of Crimea or else you'll be labeled a traitor and an "extremist," a label commonly used in Putin's Russia to shut down or blacklist websites or other forms of media that are critical of the government (see: Navalny's blog, Kasparov's site, the warning of Ekho Mosvky over interviewing eyewitnesses in the Donbass, and others). If you get two warnings in one year from Roskomnadzor, you can be shut down. The website Znak, for example, got one for showing a photo of a protest in Syria where people were stomping on a Russian flag. Because apparently it's illegal to do that in Russia, so journalists shouldn't report when it happens abroad.

Lol @ the useful idiots that admire Putin. The Russian people deserve better. They were able to rid themselves of the shackles of communism, but what ended up happening was the economic system changed but not the whole freedom of expression thing.

 

[KILL KILL]

A man spoke out against Putin once. His name was Boris Nemtsov and he was gunned down out front of the Kremlin. Coincidence?

 

[Cubo de Sangre]

Pussy Riot needs to write a song about this for it to get the attention it deserves.

 

[Rex Kwon Do]

A man spoke out against Putin once. His name was Boris Nemtsov and he was gunned down out front of the Kremlin. Coincidence?

Don't forget Litvinenko.

Actually, related to the free speech thing, Litvinenko wrote a book that was banned from publication in Russia in 2015 due to being "extremist."

 

[7437]

I thought most people were aware this is how russia operates?

 

[Rex Kwon Do]

I thought most people were aware this is how russia operates?

A lot of people admire Putin because he's "alpha." Unfortunately many of them on the right, I'm ashamed to say.

Pussy Riot needs to write a song about this for it to get the attention it deserves.

Right after they do one about Nadiya Savchenko. That's more pressing. She's about to start her 22 year prison sentence, whereas this Olga Li probably won't be found guilty; it's just intimidation at this point.

 

[7437]

A lot of people admire Putin because he's "alpha." Unfortunately many of them on the right, I'm ashamed to say.

I kinda look at it like as similar to people calling each other cucks on this board. It is a way to work out who is a total moron, with nothing valuable to offer the human race.

 

[Thunderflash500]

Yea yea he's the anti christ. Beat the war drum. First he kicks the globalists out of Russia that were pillaging the nation. He's also an actual man which the left hates. A strong man like Trump and or Putin makes the left crawl.

I'm not against people calling him out. But the same things happen in the U.S. everyday. Disagree with someone in power? You'll be seeing the IRS any day. Bullies are everywhere. Real men like Putin aren't.

 

[Rex Kwon Do]

Yea yea he's the anti christ. Beat the war drum.

What are you talking about? War drum? Lol. This is an internal problem Russia has. No sane or even insane person has ever suggested military intervention is needed to fix Russia's increasingly unfree media.

Guess we found one of those Putin fans I mentioned.

 

[Thunderflash500]

That's the point of this. Like Subutai planting seeds of grass in enemy lands before an invasion so his horses would have food to eat. The media preemptively assassinates the characters of all who stand against globalism. All these stories, just propaganda. Do we print stories on the Queen of England constantly? I'm sure we could get some kind of dirt. But she's not the enemy.

 

[Rex Kwon Do]

That's the point of this. Like Subutai planting seeds of grass in enemy lands before an invasion so his horses would have food to eat. The media preemptively assassinates the characters of all who stand against globalism. All these stories, just propaganda. Do we print stories on the Queen of England constantly? I'm sure we could get some kind of dirt. But she's not the enemy.

Hail Putin!

He could use good men like you in defense of the motherland.

 

[M3t4tr0n]

Yea yea he's the anti christ. Beat the war drum. First he kicks the globalists out of Russia that were pillaging the nation. He's also an actual man which the left hates. A strong man like Trump and or Putin makes the left crawl.

I'm not against people calling him out. But the same things happen in the U.S. everyday. Disagree with someone in power? You'll be seeing the IRS any day. Bullies are everywhere. Real men like Putin aren't.

When did Moscow get to you? How much are they paying you?

 

[Thunderflash500]

When did Moscow get to you? How much are they paying you?

Maybe I'll move to Russia one day. It's a beautiful land. If they want to start paying me now I'm ok with that.

Wouldn't shock me if it's the battle ground of WW3 though. China and Russia are the enemies. Globalists historically liked China because of how they butchered and controlled their own people. But now that they have wealth and want their own freedom, we will see what happens. I have a feeling they will be the next great demon.

 

[Rex Kwon Do]

Yea yea he's the anti christ. Beat the war drum. First he kicks the globalists out of Russia that were pillaging the nation. He's also an actual man which the left hates. A strong man like Trump and or Putin makes the left crawl.

I'm not against people calling him out. But the same things happen in the U.S. everyday. Disagree with someone in power? You'll be seeing the IRS any day. Bullies are everywhere. Real men like Putin aren't.

Yeah, FOX News, which dedicates 24 hour daily programming to savaging Obama and other liberals in power, is really hurting due to government retaliation.

Rush Limbaugh is starving to death in a gulag in Wyoming.

Infowars has been raided and its journos not seen alive since.

Herp derp.

 

[M3t4tr0n]

Maybe I'll move to Russia one day. It's a beautiful land. If they want to start paying me now I'm ok with that.

Wouldn't shock me if it's the battle ground of WW3 though. China and Russia are the enemies. Globalists historically liked China because of how they butchered and controlled their own people. But now that they have wealth and want their own freedom, we will see what happens. I have a feeling they will be the next great demon.

I wanted to know how much they pay because I want money too.

 

[Thunderflash500]

Yeah, FOX News, which dedicates 24 hour daily programming to savaging Obama and other liberals in power, is really hurting due to government retaliation.

Rush Limbaugh is starving to death in a gulag in Wyoming.

Infowars has been raided and its journos not seen alive since.

Herp derp.

You're comparing someone in parliment to FOX news?

 

[Rex Kwon Do]

You're comparing someone in parliment to FOX news?

"The media preemptively assassinates the characters of all who stand against globalism."

Besides, she's a local politician who would have reached a tiny audience--much smaller than a popular news program--if the gov't hadn't attacked her.

 

[Michaelangelo]

Sounds like Putin should rule Saudi Arabia

 

[Thunderflash500]

"The media preemptively assassinates the characters of all who stand against globalism."

Besides, she's a local politician who would have reached a tiny audience--much smaller than a popular news program--if the gov't hadn't attacked her.

Yea she's smaller. It's the same anywhere. Bullies pick easy targets. If you're some state legislature and you're releasing secrets on the Clinton family, you're getting bullied.

 

[Rex Kwon Do]

Yea she's smaller. It's the same anywhere. Bullies pick easy targets. If you're some state legislature and you're releasing secrets on the Clinton family, you're getting bullied.

The thread is being lost here.

Do you think it's laudable or condemnable that a politician is being bullied for making defensible criticisms of the President, and more broadly, that the free press has been severely degraded in Russia under Putin's tsardom?