Living Forever
Use attributes for filter ! | |
Google books | books.google.com |
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Originally published | May 2013 |
Authors | Jan Fawcett |
Genres | Science Fiction |
Medical Fiction | |
Date of Reg. | |
Date of Upd. | |
ID | 3025231 |
About Living Forever
So easily could one imagine this story infused with the rich detail of character, setting, and motivation that would transform it into a memorable work of brilliant insight. . . .
Ukraine war: The Russian student under arrest for an Instagram story
By Steve RosenbergRussia Editor, Arkhangelsk
University student Olesya Krivtsova has been missing a lot of classes.
That's because 20-year-old Olesya is under House Arrest . She has an electronic tag on her leg. Police can monitor her every move.
Her alleged crime? Olesya was arrested for anti-war posts on Social Media . One of them concerned last October's explosion on The Bridge linking Russia to annexed Crimea.
" I posted an Instagram story about The Bridge , " Olesya tells The Bbc , " reflecting on how Ukrainians were happy with what had happened. "
She had also shared a friend's post about The War .
Then The drama began.
" I was talking on The Phone to My Mother , " Olesya recalls, " when I Heard The Front door opening. Lots of police came in. They took away my phone and shouted at me to lie on The floor. "
Olesya was charged with justifying terrorism and discrediting The Russian armed forces. She faces up to 10 Years in prison.
" I never imagined anyone could get such a long prison sentence for posting something on The Internet , " Olesya says. " I'd seen reports of crazy verdicts in Russia, but I hadn't paid much attention and continued to speak out. "
A student of The Northern Federal University in Arkhangelsk, Olesya has now been added to Russia's official list of terrorists and extremists.
" When I realised I'd been put on The same list as school shooters and The Islamic State group I thought it was crazy, " recalls Olesya.
Under The Rules of her House Arrest she's banned from talking on The Phone and going online.
Olesya has a striking image tattooed on her right leg - Russian President Vladimir Putin depicted as a spider, with an Orwellian inscription: " Big Brother is Watching You . "
It appears that in Olesya's case, it wasn't Big Brother watching her, but her fellow students.
" A friend showed me a post about me in a chat, " Olesya says, " about how I was against The 'special military operation'. Most of The People in this chat were history students. They were discussing whether to denounce me to The Authorities . "
The Bbc has seen extracts from The Group chat.
In one comment, Olesya is accused of writing " provocative posts of a defeatist and extremist character. This is out of place for war-time. It must be nipped in The bud".
" First let's try to discredit her. If she doesn't get it, let The security services deal with it. "
" Denunciation is The duty of a patriot, " Someone Else writes.
Later, when The List of prosecution witnesses was read out In Court , Olesya recognised The Names from The Student chat.
It's One Year since The Kremlin launched its " special military operation" in Ukraine - The term it uses for Russia's full-scale invasion of its neighbour. Within weeks of The Assault , President Putin was calling on The Russian public to separate " true patriots from scum and traitors".
Since then, across Russia against critics of The War . They include students informing on teachers and workers denouncing colleagues.
BBCPublic Criticism of The Invasion - and that includes reposting Other People 's Criticism - is dangerous. The Russian authorities expect total, unflinching support for The offensive in Ukraine . If you don't support it, at The very least you're expected to stay silent. If you don't stay silent, there's a string of repressive laws for punishing dissent. That includes laws against spreading " false information" about The military and " discrediting" The army.
In Arkhangelsk, a giant portrait of a Russian soldier killed in Ukraine stares down on The City from The side of a nine-storey apartment block, along with The Words : " Being a warrior means Living Forever . "
The patriotic messaging is persuasive. On The Streets of Arkhangelsk, we find little sympathy for Russians facing prosecution for their anti-war comments.
" People who discredit our army or spread fakes, they're sick in The Head , " Konstantin tells me. " They should be sent to The Front Line as Cannon Fodder . "
" I have a negative attitude to critics of The special operation, " Ekaterina tells me.
But a long prison sentence for posting something online, isn't that harsh? I ask.
" People should use their brains, " Ekaterina replies. " If They Live in This Country , if they enjoy all The benefits This Country has to offer, if they're patriots, they need to abide by The Law . "
Later That Day Olesya is allowed out of her flat. But only to attend a court hearing. Her defence lawyers are trying to persuade a judge to lift The restrictions on her movement.
Olesya's T-shirt sports a picture of a police van with " School Bus" written on it. A comment on how young Russians are being punished for their Criticism of The Authorities .
The Judge rules to keep her under House Arrest .
" The State doesn't have The stomach for debate, for democracy or freedom, " Olesya says. " But they can't put everyone in prison. At some point they'll run out of cells. "
Related TopicsSource of news: bbc.com