This 23 year-old wrote me in English. She was brave enough to protest and got arrested. The consequences for protesting are severe, as her letter describes. Read it.

“Hi.

I’m a 23 years old Russian woman and I’m afraid to speak. Few days ago I was arrested and spent 24 hours in a police station. We were arrested for protesting after 30 minutes of starting. My friend was arrested in their home and now I live with a friend and [haven’t] been home for three or four days.

I’m afraid. People who are against this war now are in danger. Police and staff of the center of “extremism” (It’s called Center «Э» in russian) arrested us at home, at metro station. Yesterday our parliament created a law with an arrest for SIX years for protest. I’m really afraid to speak and go to protest now. My friend who spread the information about time and place of protest was arrested for SEVEN days yesterday.

For the post on instagram. And now exist the group in telegram where the ‘activists’ leak the data of people who posted information about the protest and “now war”. They created a base of protesters and sent mass applications to police for TREASON. People lock their profile in social media, hiding, afraid to protest. Putin has a huge army with ‘siloviki’, they arrested very old people who passed the blockade of Leningrad.

I don’t know… also they blocked ALL our media who spread the information. Meduza, До///дь, Znak.com, all media with the truth information are blocking and arrested. We are all afraid and now I will run away from the country and hope that I can fly away because flights are declining and Russia can close the borders. We hate Putin and his solution, but we don’t even know where he…

he is hiding in the bunker I think. and close our mouth with all by all available means. And spread lies by TV and tiktok, people who watch Putin’s media are zombified. Sorry for the chaotic letter. I hope you read this.

Thank you.”