As to the horrendous actions of the Russians in Ukraine, don’t we have to ask ourselves a question? Are Russia’s actions any worse than what the U.S. did in, say, Vietnam or Iraq? I think, if we are honest, we have to say that there is no significant difference. That doesn’t make the Russian actions forgivable, just as our actions are not forgivable. They may lose importance through the passage of time, perhaps, but they are not forgivable. Ukraine did not pose a threat to Russia, just as North Vietnam and Iraq posed no threat to the United States. But in each case, there was a perceived threat (incorrectly perceived) and in each case it was incorrectly assumed that any military action would be short and successful.

But, while the military actions may be equally immoral, the countries are fundamentally different. In the United States, for the most part, dissent and free speech are allowed and in Russia, for the most part, dissent and free speech are stamped out. This is in part because of our histories – the United States has operated with a fairly fair and fairly independent legal system since the beginning, and Russia has always viewed its prosecutors as state actors enforcing the will of the government.

Over the past several days, two news items have deepened the problems of dissent and free speech in Russia. For one, Putin critic (and recent Washington DC resident) Vladimir Kara Murza was given a 25 year prison sentence, and Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich was denied bail after being accused of espionage, which could result in a sentence as long as 20 years.

This morning, I watched a 90 minute Zoominar on the Kara Murza situation, sponsored by the Kennan Institute. The panelists included a Russian defense lawyer now working out of Tblisi, Georgia, a Russian TV anchor now broadcasting from Riga, Latvia, a Russian activist now living in Berlin, and a Russian journalist also living somewhere outside the country.

What did I pick up?

1. None of these people seem to think that it was a dumb move on behalf of Kara Murza or Alexei Navalny (also serving a long term prison sentence) to return to Russia, but that it was rather a heroic move, knowing the likely consequences.
2. Although many Russian journalists (print and video) have moved outside the country, many are still reporting from inside Russia, all at risk.
3. For some reason, YouTube continues to operate freely in Russia, and it is through YouTube that journalists still can get through to Russians, although there are recurrent rumors that Russia will shut it down soon. There are so many Russian journalists reporting on YouTube, that you can spend 24/7 on it reading their reports.
4. Foreign journalists working in Russia have been in contact with exiled Russian journalists, and been able to transmit info into and out of the country. The Russians were jealous of the ability of the foreigners to travel in and out of the country without fear. That is, until Gershkovich was arrested. This was a total game changer. Now, many journalists have left Russia and some employers and foreign countries are asking them to leave.
5. Berlin has become the largest center of Russian dissidents abroad. The Germans, though, have a difficult time distinguishing between those who have left Russia as political dissidents eligible for asylum, and Russians who have left the country because it just seemed like a good time to leave, or even those who left the country simply because they did not want to serve in the military. A number of these people were in fact not against Putin per se or an autocratic regime, but simply did not want to put themselves in danger, and this creates a problem for the country which admits them. The countries which abut Russia (Poland, say) are even more concerned about letting in Russians who in fact cannot be vetted as actual political dissenters.
6. Why do lawyers continue to work to defend prisoners in Russia knowing that they will most likely lose the case? The answers given were that, in large part, it was because they want to make a record for the future – for the time when Putin is gone and policies change, and decisions have to be made about what to do about existing prisoners. Why aren’t lawyers themselves targets? Some, in fact, have been, and none feel at ease, but Russia needs the lawyers too so it can maintain that it has a fair and functioning (almost said fair and balanced) legal system.
7. Everyone seems to be a friend of, and like, Kara Murza a lot. His health is a major concern since it was compromise by the two times that Russia tried to poison him (or, I should say, did poison him, but not successfully). Same, of course, with Navalny.

I just saw Andrea Mitchell interview Daniel Ellsberg. Ellsberg was charged with espionage in this country 50 years ago following his leak of the Pentagon Papers during the Vietnam War. He was not convicted, however, not because he didn’t do what he was accused of, but because of misconduct by the prosecution. This would never have happened in Russia where conviction rates are over 99% (according to one of the panelists this morning). There is a difference between Mother Russia and Uncle Sam.