"Russia Uses Force to Suppress Anti-War Protesters... Also Imposes Media Sanctions"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Russian authorities are reportedly cracking down on protests condemning the invasion of Ukraine within the country, resorting to violence, CNN reported on the 6th (local time).

According to the report, videos showing anti-war protesters being assaulted by police were shared on social media and in the press. CNN confirmed the authenticity of the footage, stating it was filmed on Sunday, the 6th, when the protests occurred. The video shows a major clash between protesters and police near Kazan Cathedral in the center of Nevsky Avenue, Saint Petersburg.

The footage shows a police officer attempting to arrest a protester, and when another protester tries to intervene, another officer appears and pushes him to the ground. Another video shows police pinning a woman to the ground to detain her, and a man who appears to be a protest participant being laid down and beaten.

On the same day, the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs told TASS that about 1,500 people participated in an unauthorized protest in Saint Petersburg, and approximately half of them, around 750, were detained.

Russian authorities also imposed sanctions targeting the media. On the 4th, the Russian parliament passed an amendment to the criminal code allowing criminal punishment for spreading false information about the activities of its military. As a result, media outlets worldwide have suspended their coverage from Russia. The international human rights organization Human Rights Watch (HRW) condemned Russia's media crackdown, stating that restrictions on freedom of expression and access to information during wartime cannot be justified under international law.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.