Andrei Grishin
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New law aims to increase state oversight on some religious minorities.
Ever-tighter links appear to be alarming some ordinary citizens.
The authorities appear to be weighing their response as to how best reign in dissent.
Attempts to block or amend contentious bill come to nothing.
Ambition to host Winter Olympics could deter government from copying Moscow’s homophobic law.
Concerns that hate speech laws are being used to silence anti-corruption campaigner and other government critics.
Prosecutors accuse three defendants of plotting against state, though little solid evidence has been presented.
People set themselves on fire in extreme and very public form of protest.
Recent trials of labour activists unlikely to deter further protests but certain to increase resentment.
Image-conscious government avoids labelling critics as mentally unstable, but police in provinces still use forcible committal as threat.