Wagner chief walks free after armed revolt. Other Russians defying the Kremlin aren’t so lucky

By DASHA LITVINOVA
Associated Press

TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — Mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin led an armed rebellion against the Russian military — and got away with it. Others, who merely voiced criticism against the Kremlin, weren’t so lucky. On Tuesday, Russia’s main domestic security agency, the FSB, said it had dropped the criminal investigation into last week’s revolt, with no charges against Prigozhin or any of the other participants, even though about a dozen Russian troops were killed in clashes. Prigozhin’s escape from prosecution was in stark contrast to how the Kremlin has deals with anti-government protests like speaking out against the war in Ukraine or challenging Putin’s rule.