▁period ▁after ▁ 2 0 1 2 ▁also ▁saw ▁mass ▁protest s ▁against ▁the ▁f als ification ▁of ▁elections , ▁c ensor ship ▁and ▁t ough ening ▁of ▁free ▁assembly ▁laws . ▁ ▁In ▁July ▁ 2 0 0 0 , ▁according ▁to ▁a ▁law ▁proposed ▁by ▁Put in ▁and ▁approved ▁by ▁the ▁Federal ▁Assembly ▁of ▁Russia , ▁Put in ▁gained ▁the ▁right ▁to ▁dismiss ▁the ▁heads ▁of ▁the ▁ 8 9 ▁federal ▁subjects . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 4 , ▁the ▁direct ▁election ▁of ▁those ▁heads ▁( us ually ▁called ▁" g overn ors ") ▁by ▁popular ▁vote ▁was ▁replaced ▁with ▁a ▁system ▁where by ▁they ▁would ▁be ▁nominated ▁by ▁the ▁president ▁and ▁approved ▁or ▁disapp ro ved ▁by ▁regional ▁legisl atures . ▁This ▁was ▁seen ▁by ▁Put in ▁as ▁a ▁necessary ▁move ▁to ▁stop ▁separ at ist ▁t endencies ▁and ▁get ▁rid ▁of ▁those ▁govern ors ▁who ▁were ▁connected ▁with ▁organ ised ▁crime . ▁This ▁and ▁other ▁government ▁actions ▁effect ed ▁under ▁Put in ' s ▁presiden cy ▁have ▁been ▁critic ised ▁by ▁many ▁independent ▁Russian ▁media ▁out lets ▁and ▁Western ▁comment ators ▁as ▁anti - dem ocr atic . ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 2 , ▁as ▁proposed ▁by ▁Put in ' s ▁successor , ▁D mit ry ▁Med ved ev , ▁the ▁direct ▁election ▁of ▁govern ors ▁was ▁re - int rodu ced . ▁ ▁During ▁his ▁first ▁term ▁in ▁office , ▁Put in ▁opposed ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁Y el ts in - era ▁o lig arch s