And then came February 24. Exactly one week after a dog sniffed my suitcase, Russia invaded Ukraine. Millions looked on in dismay and confusion as troops stormed across the border. Putin called it a “military operation” to “denazify” its sovereign neighbor. The West called it a declaration of war. Putin warned America, Europe, and NATO not to assist Ukraine. If they did, he threatened consequences. As the world teetered toward global crisis, I sat alone in a personal one. The invasion changed everything for me. Suddenly, my arrest wasn’t just an arrest, and I wasn’t just another prisoner. I
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