, Columnist
Russian Security Chief Makes Putin Seem Tame
In a manifesto, an ally of the president essentially calls for rolling back all remaining civil liberties.
Defender of liberal values?
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General Alexander Bastrykin, who runs the Russian equivalent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, has provided a rare insight into the thinking of President Vladimir Putin's select circle of siloviki, or security men. His vision, published in the weekly Kommersant Vlast, includes Chinese-style Internet censorship and the elimination of "fake democracy" to ensure that Russia can defend itself.