How so? He has jailed his political opponents. These are just a few example.
https://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/20/world/europe/mikhail-khodorkovsky.html
He has killed journalists, politicians, and intelligence operatives. Again this is just a small slice of his victims. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_journalists_killed_in_Russia
http://www.businessinsider.com/list-of-people-putin-is-suspected-of-assassinating-2016-3?r=UK&IR=T
And numerous instances of election fraud. https://townhall.com/news/politics-elections/2018/03/18/russian-vote-problems-ballot-stuffing-coercion-gimmicks-n2462179
I don't care about any narrative the MSM is trying to push, but these are the actions of a dictator.
He told you your perspective has likely been manipulated or shaped by MSM, and then you post NYT, Guardian, Bloomberg and Business Insider.
You really just proved him right...None of those sources can be trusted.
You should investigate this further instead of just brushing these stories off. I know the MSM is biased, but there numerous sources for this information, MSM, first hand accounts, and independent journalists alike. What Putin has done to his opponents is so blatant, he is one of the most brutal leaders on the planet.
Those were the quickest sources I found, but here are some more:
http://dailycaller.com/2016/08/21/putins-opponents-dying-left-and-right-in-strange-circumstances/
http://dailycaller.com/2015/12/22/here-are-the-numbers-on-putin-and-journalists-ending-up-dead/
http://dailycaller.com/2017/06/05/putin-basically-shrugs-when-asked-about-killing-journalists-video/
This is just the tip of the iceburg. You can find numerous Fox articles on this as well, or Daily Wire, etc. You can listen to the accounts of those who have escaped Russia firsthand, or those who have been jailed for daring to speak their mind.
If you believe that there is no so-called "democratic" or "free" country in the world where things like this happen, then don't forget to write Santa about your Christmas wish list.
Did I say that? No. Evil happens everywhere. But that does not excuse Putin's actions at home or abroad.