It's bizarre how some conservatives in the U.S. support Russia. I suppose it's because Trump licked Putin's boots so they feel obligated to follow suit?
The word 'some' is very important here, as obviously it would not be all of them. Technically, a really hard-line conservative position in any country, is subjective to that country. If you are russian, that means really digging your heels in on traditional russian values, whatever those are. If you are american, then you do the same for our 'traditional' values, whatever those are claimed to be. So someone 'respecting' russia, while being american, is looking over the fence at their country, and respecting them for a kind of 'universal traditionalism,' which is fictional
To make another point, I would posit that many (but not all, to avoid generalizing) russians who protest and are imprisoned, are going to be left-leaning. They would generally want a freedom of the constriction of so many traditional values, and of the trade exchanges between material and ideas.