Russia has strict laws against protests that essentially ban all public shows of opposition. Since sending troops into Ukraine in February 2022, Moscow has escalated a decade-long crackdown on dissent, handing out lengthy prison sentences to critics. Jailed activist leader Alsynov, whose sentencing triggered the protests, had publicly criticised Moscow’s mobilisation drive for the offensive. Protesters clashed with police in freezing temperatures in the small town of Baymak in rare scenes of unrest Wednesday after local activist Fail Aslynov jailed for four years. Alsynov has campaigned for the protection of the Bashkir language and co-founded a now banned organisation. He was convicted of “inciting hatred.” Do you think that some people are being used by the west to undermine Russian national interests ?

