Amid Crackdown On Free Speech, Russians And Russian Americans Speak Out Against War

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a law that could impose fifteen years in prison on anyone who publishes or broadcasts what the Russian government considers "false information" about the invasion of Ukraine. The law makes it illegal to use the word "war" or "invasion," a move aimed at shutting down the last remaining independent Russian media outlets. Even as news is being censored and social media platforms are being shut down, some people in Russia are determined to be heard. The Russian independent human rights group OVD-Info reports that more than 13,000 protesters in 147 cities have been detained since the war began just over two weeks ago. Yulia Zhivtsova is one of those protesters. She was detained in Moscow for taking part in protests the day after Russia invaded Ukraine. She's one of the thousands of protesters across the country who are defying the threat of violence and prison to express their opposition to the war in Ukraine. And we'll hear how Russian immigrants and Russian Americans are showing support for Ukraine as attitudes among some in their community shift from acceptance of Putin to outrage. In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community. Email us at considerthis@npr.org . Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy