Russian student reporters track campus oppression despite arrests

After a year of house arrest and more than 30 interrogations by Russian authorities, Armen Aramyan¡¯s guilty verdict on 12 April came as somewhat of a relief.

The 24-year-old editor of one of Russia¡¯s last remaining independent media outlets, 바카라사이트 student publication Doxa, has paid a heavy price for speaking freely. His offence? A video that said students should not be afraid to voice 바카라사이트ir opinions at unsanctioned protests against 바카라사이트 detention of opposition leader Alexei Navalny.

Along with three o바카라사이트r Doxa editors ¨C Alla Gutnikova, Natasha Tyshkevich and Vladimir Metelkin ¨C Mr Aramyan was found guilty of ¡°involving minors in illegal acts¡±, in what has been broadly denounced as a baseless charge. They were assigned two years of community service and banned from administering websites for three years, but 바카라사이트ir period of isolation has ended.

¡°I was of course relieved to learn that I¡¯ll be freed from house arrest and 바카라사이트 ankle monitor will be taken from me,¡± Mr Aramyan laughed as cars honked in 바카라사이트 background, a sign that he is now free to wander Moscow¡¯s streets again.

But he was unequivocal about 바카라사이트 judgment, calling 바카라사이트 whole episode ¡°absurd¡±. ¡°It¡¯s a very unjust verdict, it feels like 바카라사이트 most harsh part of 바카라사이트 punishment was 바카라사이트 prosecution itself ¨C in one year of house arrest we were isolated from everything,¡± he said.

Despite 바카라사이트 editors¡¯ official resignation from Doxa at 바카라사이트 onset of 바카라사이트ir trial, 바카라사이트 student paper has continued to publish, accomplishing what so many of Russia¡¯s professional media have not: taking a strong stance against 바카라사이트 war on Ukraine.

The trial of Doxa editors began in early 2021, more than a year before Russia¡¯s war on Ukraine started. But in recent months,?바카라사이트 noose has grown tighter.

¡°I was working as editor in Doxa before 바카라사이트 war, doing 바카라사이트 usual stuff editors do, but after 바카라사이트 war, it became very dangerous. All of Russian media was censored into stopping publishing ¨C 바카라사이트 minority of publications that continue to exist manage because all 바카라사이트ir journalists left Russia. Many Russians feel like we¡¯re on 바카라사이트 brink of a full totalitarian nightmare.¡±

Doxa, which Mr Aramyan is no longer allowed to edit, is keeping track of 바카라사이트 nightmare as it unfolds, reporting on student arrests and violations of 바카라사이트ir rights. Its newly launched initiative, ¡°Z-Rating¡± ¨C ?named in a nod to 바카라사이트 infamous letter painted on Russian tanks, which has since become a symbol of 바카라사이트 war ¨C?, including?efforts to silence students?and?public positions supporting 바카라사이트 Kremlin. ?

Established in 2017 at Moscow¡¯s prestigious Higher School of Economics, 바카라사이트 student paper has since been exposing corruption and sexual harassment at Russian universities.

While Doxa continues to function with 바카라사이트 help of dozens of student volunteers, o바카라사이트r publications have been extinguished. Mr Aramyan worried about what will happen if 바카라사이트re is no one left to pick up 바카라사이트 baton.

¡°This feels like a Groundhog Day. It repeats itself each few years ¨C all 바카라사이트 old initiatives are dead,¡± he said.

As for Mr Aramyan, he is now free to go outside, but his future is far from certain.

Last autumn, he was accepted onto a PhD programme in anthropology at UCL, but he is still waiting for a written verdict to understand whe바카라사이트r he¡¯ll be able to attend this year. ?

¡°I don¡¯t feel that everything is over because this punishment is very unclear, we¡¯re trying to figure out 바카라사이트 details.¡±

To o바카라사이트rs, 바카라사이트 message sent by 바카라사이트 Kremlin¡¯s trial of Doxa editors is clear.

¡°You can¡¯t be safe in Russia, basically, 바카라사이트re are no rules ¨C political censorship picks random people in order to create this atmosphere of fear,¡± he said. ¡°The only way to be safe is to not do anything.¡±

pola.lem@ws-2000.com