Yelena Vladykina is a correspondent for North.Realities, a regional news outlet of RFE/RL's Russian Service.
Police raided a conference of independent lawmakers in Moscow last weekend, detaining nearly 200 people. With elections coming and the ruling United Russia party polling at record lows, the unprecedented move is seen as a signal the Kremlin has no intention of seeing its monopoly on power weakened.
Daria Apakhonchich has been a Red Cross volunteer, taught refugee women Russian, and used her performance art to defend feminist causes. Now she is one of the first individuals to be branded a "foreign agent" by the state -- and is planning to appeal a designation she says is patently false.
Liberal opposition candidates fared well at elections in St. Petersburg in 2019, winning numerous seats on district councils in President Vladimir Putin's hometown. Now, many say they are facing financial checks, ostracism, and other tactics designed to prevent them from doing their jobs.
!["Only those [regional] deputies who are not liked by United Russia or the governor's office get audited," says Aleksandr Shurshev (right), who works as a coordinator for Russian opposition politician and anti-corruption campaigner Aleksei Navalny’s in St. Petersburg. (file photo)](https://gdb.rferl.org/26f71dc3-2a51-4564-9202-cb3b77e5e3b3_cx0_cy10_cw0_w100_r1.jpg)
!["Only those [regional] deputies who are not liked by United Russia or the governor's office get audited," says Aleksandr Shurshev (right), who works as a coordinator for Russian opposition politician and anti-corruption campaigner Aleksei Navalny’s in St. Petersburg. (file photo)](https://gdb.rferl.org/26f71dc3-2a51-4564-9202-cb3b77e5e3b3_cx0_cy10_cw0_w66_r1.jpg)