I’m afraid they’ll come for me too.” How the jailing of communists became a new wave of repression...

“I’m afraid they’ll come for me too.” How the jailing of communists became a new wave of repression in Russia

Amid new arrests, members of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation (CPRF) are asking themselves what benefits cooperation with the Kremlin actually brings, even in terms of safety, if arrests and pressure are only increasing. Party sources told Verstka about their concerns.

“It’s not very clear what we’re getting in exchange. [Former State Duma deputy Oleg] Mikhailov [detained for ‘justifying terrorism’] wasn’t just jailed; they broke him. So what was the point of holding back from going for United Russia’s throat?” a CPRF functionary from a Siberian region complained to Verstka.

According to him, the deal is usually simple: the party runs a quiet campaign and gets positions on parliamentary committees in return. But the party has lost two dozen seats recently, he noted.

All the communists interviewed by Verstka admit in one way or another that they fear repression against themselves personally.

“They can exert pressure without consequences, and people see no reason why they wouldn’t come for everyone. The CPRF is in a lot of people’s way in the regions too,” the Siberian communist explained.

Read on Verstka’s website about what kind of repression CPRF members expect next, and why (VPN required):

Link not working? Read it here.

😘 Subscribe to @svobodnieslova and donate — your support keeps us working

Verstka

“You can’t resubmit them all!” How the jailing of communists became a new wave of repression in Russia

Amid new arrests, CPRF members expect the party’s “overly soft stance” to be reconsidered