Amid Russia’s new crackdowns, small signs of defiance emerge

NEW YORK (AP) — Russia has unleashed a harsh crackdown on dissent over the past year by imprisoning opposition leader Alexei Navalny and silencing his supporters and his organization. Activists were either prosecuted, fled the country or had their hands tied by draconian new laws or decrees. Independent news outlets were blocked and social media platforms banned. Navalny had his prison term extended on Tuesday. But there are still flickers of protest and defiance both for Navalny and against the invasion of Ukraine that was launched last month. More than 15,000 people have reportedly been detained for demonstrating against the war.