>You want to protest something and yet not get shot.

I wouldn't be so sure. Didn't some people get arrested for protesting with a blank sign? I also saw a video of protester with a sign "two words" getting hauled away.

Astronauts are expensive government assets relative to random people with a sign.

Can you apply for political asylum aboard the International Space Station?

I would love to see this playing out: Cosmonaut applying for asylum. Obviously Russia can't arrest him in space, but where do they land? There is material for a nice movie in there.

Check out "For All Mankind" on Apple TV. Although now it might hit a little too close to home.

> Obviously Russia can't arrest him in space, but where do they land?

Depending on whether it's a US or Russian vehicle, either in the ocean or Kazakhstan (which, while generally aligned with Russia, is a whole separate country and disappointed Putin by refusing a request to supply troops to support the invasion of Ukraine.)

They could get a ride back on the spaceX vehicle

> Astronauts are expensive government assets relative to random people with a sign.

Among those arrested in the recent purges are, ISTR, 8 army generals, the head and first deputy at FSB, and a bunch of other “expensive government assets”.

Good for them. Good for all the people who are fighting for democracy.