It’s not quite a penal colony here, but a halfway house. Once again, when I write a statement or a song, a demon on my left shoulder is whispering: “How much is too much? Will this get you jailed or not quite yet??”. The answer is - idfk. When the law is being used not to protect freedoms, put to punish - selectively and voluntarily - those who speak out, no lawyer can tell you what’s safe, and what’s not. As my Russian lawyer used to say, “Nadya, stop asking me what’s safe - if you want to be safe, leave Russia”.  I refused to leave for years - until it became clear that if I stayed, I’d spend the rest of my life behind bars. Putin promised his people safety and stability in exchange for their freedoms  and many bought into his message of “making Russia great again.” Today, he’s waging the bloodiest war in modern Europe. Russia has become an international pariah, and its best - those honest enough to refuse self-censorship - are either imprisoned or assassinated, like my comrades Navalny and Nemtsov. The promised land an authoritarian leader dangles in front of you like a carrot will never arrive. Unless, of course, you’re one of their besties.