Former PM says Russia is turning into dictatorship

By Aussiegirl

Russia continues to be a bad player in the world and will continue to ally itself with the enemies of the United States. Any ideas that Russia can be a reliable ally to influence countries such as Iran for the better is pie in the sky. There is no "there" there, when it comes to Putin's soul.

Former PM says Russia is turning into dictatorship - Sunday Times - Times Online

A FORMER Russian prime minister has warned that his country is slipping into a dictatorship similar to the harsh regime in neighbouring Belarus.
Mikhail Kasyanov, 48, sacked by President Vladimir Putin in 2004 for questioning his commitment to democracy, said the Kremlin had become so despotic that people increasingly lived in fear.

“If Russia continues along the current course it will end up like the regime of Alexander Lukashenko,” he said, referring to the hardline president of Belarus, widely condemned in the West as Europe’s last dictator. “An atmosphere of fear is being created and a sense that everyone is under the state’s control. These are the first steps towards a totalitarian system.

“There is practically no press freedom, the judiciary is no longer independent and public opinion is manipulated.”