Vladimir Putin is poised to return to the Kremlin after his election victory despite protests from some who say the poll was rigged. Inside Russia, those opposing Putin can find themselves on the wrong side of the law.
But Putin's long-time aide Dmitri Peskov told Stephen Sackur that people were not locked up for their opposition - they only went to prison if they violated Russian law.
You can watch the full interview on BBC World News on Tuesday 20 March at 04:30, 09:30, 15:30 and 21:30 GMT and on the BBC News Channel on Tuesday 20 March at 04:30 GMT and Wednesday 21 March at 00:30 GMT.
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