Ex-Russian Mayor Arrested For Criticizing Russia’s Invasion—Here’s Who Else Has Been Detained 6 Months Into War

Breaking Business Ex-Russian Mayor Arrested For Criticizing Russia’s Invasion—Here’s Who Else Has Been Detained 6 Months Into War Madeline Halpert Forbes Staff New! Follow this author to stay notified about their latest stories. Got it! Aug 24, 2022, 09:26am EDT | Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Topline Police officers wearing masks and camouflage arrested Yevgeny Roizman, a Russian opposition politician and former Russian mayor, at his home Wednesday for speaking out against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, according to multiple outlets , following in the footsteps of several other activists who have been detained six months into Russia’s war. Russian opposition figure and former mayor of Yekaterinburg Yevgeny Roizman attends an interview in .

. . [+] July 2022.

AFP via Getty Images Key Facts Roizman, who served as mayor of Russia’s fourth-largest city Yekaterinburg from 2013 to 2018, told reporters he was being arrested for calling the war an “invasion” of Ukraine. Roizman—who had been fined several times earlier this year for similar charges—said he “called the war a war,” adding “That’s it. Unfortunately I have no defense,” according to Reuters .

Earlier this month, Marina Ovsyannikova, a former Russian state television journalist who made headlines in March after she interrupted a live broadcast to condemn Russia’s war in Ukraine, was also arrested for spreading “false” information about the war. Opposition politicians Ilya Yashin and Vladimir Kara-Murza—both outspoken critics of Russian President Vladimir Putin—have also been detained and charged with spreading false information about Russia’s army in recent months. Key Background Russia has called its invasion of Ukraine a “special military operation” and has cracked down on those who use the words “war” or “invasion” or who speak out against the conflict.

In March, a month after the invasion began, Putin signed a new law making it punishable by up to 15 years in prison for spreading “false news” about Russia’s military. Roizman could face up to three years in prison for allegedly violating the law, according to the New York Times. Roizman was a vocal backer of Alexei Navalny, a prominent Russian opposition leader who was detained in 2021.

Russia has also worked to suppress independent media outlets, blocking major publications such as the BBC and Voice of America. The arrest comes as Ukrainians are bracing themselves for potential attacks from Russia on Ukrainian Independence Day and on the six-month mark of the start of the war. Big Number 16,437.

That’s how many people Russia has detained for sharing anti-war sentiments since the country began its invasion of Ukraine, according to independent Russian human rights organization OVD-Info. Tangent American concern for Ukraine has waned over the course of the war, according to a poll from Morning Consult. Some 39% of U.

S. voters say they are “very concerned” about Russia’s invasion, a 20-point drop since the beginning of the war in March. More voters (42%) are likely to say they’re “somewhat concerned,” up from 34% at the start of the invasion.

Democrats (51%) were more likely to say they were very concerned than Independents (34%) and Republicans (30%), according to the survey, which was conducted among 2,000 voters on August 19 to 21. Further Readnig Former Russian mayor detained for criticising Ukraine invasion (Reuters) A prominent Russian critic of the war is detained after speaking out. (New York Times) Russian Journalist Who Protested Ukraine War On TV Placed On House Arrest (Forbes) Check out my website .

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