DISINFO: There is more freedom of speech in Russia than in Europe
SUMMARY
Today, in Europe, a real dictatorship is taking hold. Freedom of expression no longer exists. They are trying to control freedom of expression. People are terrified. There is more freedom in Russia, more security in Russia than in Europe, even though Europe presents itself as the country of freedom of expression, of democracy.
RESPONSE
Mirror accusations of dictatorship and suppression of free speech.
Democratic standards and freedom of speech are significantly lower in Russia than in Europe. In 2025, Reporters Without Borders ranked Russia 171st out of 180 countries, with a score of 24. In contrast, European countries rank much higher: France is 25th, Germany 11th, and the Netherlands 3rd.
See our series of analytical articles examining the censorship in Russia.
Reporters Without Borders also reports that 35 journalists and 15 media workers are currently detained in Russia. Repressive laws concerning historical memory, discrediting the army, sources of financing, extremism, and the so-called “propaganda of non-traditional values” can endanger virtually anyone. Notably, even individuals who support the government and participate in its ideological efforts can fall victim to overly literal or arbitrary interpretations of these laws.
For example, Vera Bashkova, a teacher from the village of Teplichny, lost her job and faced legal action after organising a school event for the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War. The charges against her were widely seen as absurd. Public attention to her case eventually led to the reversal of the repressive measures. Unfortunately, not all such cases end as positively. Many individuals have been fined or subjected to administrative detention simply for publishing historical photographs related to World War II.
On 23 May 2025, an 84-year-old survivor of the Siege of Leningrad was fined 10,000 rubles for expressing an anti-war position. On 14 May 2025, a court in Moscow convicted one of the leaders of a prominent independent election monitoring group on charges of organising the activities of an “undesirable” organisation and sentenced him to five years in prison. On 15 April 2025, four Russian journalists were each sentenced by a Moscow court to five and a half years in prison after being found guilty of working for the banned organisation associated with the late opposition leader Alexei Navalny.
These are just a few recent examples of individuals being repressed for expressing an opinion, being suspected of holding dissenting views, or simply being associated with a movement.
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