Russian courts will decide next week whether the movement Alexei Navalny started in Russia will be classified alongside terrorist organizations such as Al Qaeda and the Islamic State.
The Anti-Corruption Foundation, created by Alexei Navalny, is being put under trial by Russian authorities. If terrorist organization status is granted, then anything from putting magnets on your refrigerator, to wearing a t-shirt with the slogan “Russian will be happy,” to re-tweeting a posting from the group, could be considered treasonous and subject to punishment. This would be Putin’s greatest, most sweeping move to eliminate rivals for his position, using tactics reminiscent of his Soviet KGB operative days. As a result, Navalny’s movements has called off formal protests, in favor of spontaneous demonstrations.
Putin is the Russian President in name only; he is slowly becoming the Russian dictator–with a lifelong appointment. He is dragging Russia backward into authoritarianism, away from progress, while he bankrolls himself and his oligarch friends by siphoning money from the Russian economy. (He reportedly has $40 billion, making him one of the world’s richest men.)
Such behavior only hurts Russia by siphoning money from the economy. It is unclear whether his legacy will cause him to be buried inside the Kremlin or behind its wall.
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