Even those of us seasoned in Russian politics could not remember a case when an entire conference hall was taken into custody. In all, around 200 people were detained, most of them incumbent lawmakers — all democratically elected representatives of the Russian people. ADADIn the old days, Russian authorities would create quasilegal pretexts — such as planting drugs — for the persecution of opposition activists. Two days after disrupting a conference of elected Russian lawmakers, the Russian government hosted a delegation from Hezbollah, designated as a terrorist group in much of the democratic world. ADADBut when public demands for change became unstoppable, it was the zemstvo leaders who rightfully took leading roles in the new Russian parliament.

Source: Washington Post March 18, 2021 14:17 UTC