Kremlin crackdown silences war protests, from benign to bold

By The Associated Press

Hundreds of Russians are facing charges for speaking out against the war in Ukraine since a law was passed last month that criminalizes the spread of “false information” about the invasion and disparaging the military. Human rights groups say the crackdown has led to criminal prosecutions and possible prison sentences for at least 23 people, with over 500 others facing misdemeanor cases that have either led to hefty fines or are expected to result in them. The head of a legal aid group says the number of cases is unprecedentedly large. Among those facing charges was a priest who preached about the suffering of Ukrainians and a man who held up a sign with no words — just asterisks.