Following are the differences:
1. COVID-19 restrictions are put on everyone, Russian ban is only on JW's.
2. COVID-19 restrictions are restrictions, Russian restrictions are more than that- it's the criminalization of a faith.
3. During COVID, you can meet, preach and sing on Zoom or online, but in Russia, even doing that can being criminal charges.
4. COVID is a restriction on your physical activity. not faith; the Russian ban is the opposite.
Restrictions make sense to follow or not when they are imposed on everyone indiscriminately, but if they are imposed on only one person or only one group,or on one activity, then that becomes discrimination.
the Russian ban on JW's doesn't make sense, when other groups equally or more dangerous are allowed to remain legal.
People here wholeheartedly supported the COVID lockdown, but do you remember how people here got angry when governments started allowing churches to open up, when other group activities were still restricted? That's what I am talking about.