Nothing says being fervently against autocracy like a dictator trying to assassinate his political rivals and dissidents and then having the assassins double crossed to tie up loose ends. Secret torture chambers are one of those publicly funded social services made available to average citizens, its practically a state run torture chamber utility. And definitely made available to citizens that speak out against big Z
If Zelensky or some other high-ranking member of Ukraine's leadership was behind the assassination attempt, why would the SBU publicly confirm that one of their own intelligence officers was the handler of the assassin; why would they voluntarily publish footage of this dude's private torture chamber? And why would they confirm that the assassin was found dead near Kyiv with gunshot wounds to the head, instead of just letting the body disappear?
Also, from what I've read, the target of the bombing in Monaco wasn't a major
political dissident or rival of Zelensky, just a run-of-the-mill corrupt Ukrainian oligarch who didn't want the war to get in the way of his "business" on Crimea.
If anything, this case imho points to corruption and criminal dealings, or perhaps also to behind the scenes power struggles, within Ukraine's security apparatus, rather than to a "dictatorship" in which the ruling class keeps the opposition down with ruthless efficiency.