I suppose it should be "an Old Russian Low," considering this represents more a return to Mr. Putin's KGB days than some new policy he dreamed up. It will be interesting to see if they actually go the "show trial" route, as the author suggests. Show trials were a special beast in the USSR, as they were actually scripted, like a movie. Even the defendant would say exactly what he was told by the time the trial took place (this is known from transcripts of the trials that were sometimes leaked). One can only imagine what kind of "convincing" it took to make a defendant say what (s)he was told to say.
You say that like it's a bad thing. You make it sound like some folks don't deserve civil rights.
Do you mean to suggest that in the US we may be heading in the opposite direction of democratization? If so, do you say this because of things like Citizens United, government surveillance programs, increased executive powers etc? If so, I wouldn't disagree with you. Still, it's hard to image reading something like the below and having it be in the US, but who knows what the landscape is like in 10 years...:It was also a limited victory. Svetlana Davydova is still facing charges of high treason, which carry a punishment of 12 to 20 years in prison. These stem from changes to the law that Russia made in 2012, bringing the relevant section of the criminal code back in line with provisions that were in force during the Stalin era, when millions of Soviet citizens were imprisoned on bogus espionage and treason charges.
Since Russia is a sovereign nation (not like Arizona, which only thinks it is), we'd be schmucks to think we can force them to change. Nevertheless, it makes Russia into the anti-Vegas: all laws, all punishments, all the time. I guess that's sufficient tourism advice. I've always wanted to see the subways of Moscow, but I'll have to wait. Just like I will have to wait to see Isfahan, one of the most beautiful cities in the world -- but in a nation where I have no embassy in case something goes wrong.
So much of Iran looks like it would be wonderful to visit... if the geopolitics allowed. This is one of the reasons I would be glad to see the travel bans on Cuba lifted. I'd like to some day visit the Island, I've heard that it is a beautiful place.