That's a fair point, but the state of their prisons and their political system is their responsibility, right?

I have a lot of compassion and empathy for the situation the Russian people are in right now, but they did make the system they are currently living in. If they want it to stop, they are going to have to stop it.

Putin is effectively unelected. Their election system is a multi-tiered hoax and just another method of deception.

The alcoholic "President" before Putin had actual tanks firing at congress when things didn't go his way.

Before that, communist supreme rulers who murdered those who opposed them. And their own party members to get the throne.

Before that, Tsars, imperialist supreme rules who murdered those who opposed them. And their own family members to get the throne.

I get it, dictatorship sucks, but the subjects of the dictator are the only people capable of dethroning him. The tanks aren't going to shoot themselves.

is it our responsibility that we protested the regime, forcing Putin to ramp up the repressions, to strengthen the police? If so, I guess we should've just stood still and patiently wait for Putin to die of old age instead of attempting to change anything.

This is going to sound rough, and I don't actually mean it personally. As i said, i have a lot of compassion that this isn't easy, and I'm not sure I'd have the fortitude to do it either, BUT. It is your responsibility that Putin is in a position where he CAN ramp up repressions. YOU are the power he wields, and it's you that have to resist him. Without a population to preside over, the president is nothing. Without an army to fire the tanks, the tanks are just hunks of metal.

Again, I don't want this to sound like a blame you. I understand that real life is more scary than some intellectual debate on HN, especially coming from a dude in western Europe, but philosophically I don't see who else holds the blame, because it's sure as hell not ONLY Putin.

How many countries' farmer populations overthrew militant dictators or monarchs at risk of death and dismemberment? All of Europe, pretty much? The entirety of the United States? "oh you can go to prison" is a pretty weak excuse.