Russia’s Descent into Totalitarianism

Published date01 June 2024
DOIhttp://doi.org/10.1177/20419058241260782
AuthorNatasha Lindstaedt
Date01 June 2024
12 POLITICAL INSIGHT JUNE 2024
In January 2021, Russia’s most notable
opposition figure, Alexei Navalny,
willingly returned home. It was a
remarkable decision. Navalny had
just recovered from being poisoned by a
military grade Novichok nerve agent. But
Navalny genuinely believed that his actions
could help shape a future Russia. Though
Russia’s Descent
into Totalitarianism
Vladimir Putin’s regime has become increasingly authoritarian.
Any semblance of democracy has been snuffed out. Draconian laws
punish any dissent. Natasha Lindstaedt charts Russia’s plunge into
authoritarianism under Putin.
he risked arrest and imprisonment, he and
his allies argued that protests and activism
were Russia’s only hope. Surely Russian
President Vladmir Putin would not be so
bold as to eliminate such a public and
beloved adversary? Navalny was reported
dead on February 16, 2024. Few doubt the
Kremlin’s role in his death.
Where once Putin may have cared a little
more about the optics of killing the leading
Political Insight June 2024 BU.indd 12Political Insight June 2024 BU.indd 12 23/05/2024 15:2823/05/2024 15:28

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