[struwwelpeter]

Ivanov and Sidorov, from the BBC article, sound like good men. Courageous - Russia's provinces are a lot like Chicago and New Orleans, step on the wrong toes and you could end up pod asfaltom (under the asphalt).

But to murder a journalist in the center of Moscow?

Sad.

Everyone's quick to say this is Putin's birthday present, but I know that many crooked cops and generals would have loved to shut her up as well.

She'll be hard to replace, and be a chilling reminder to those journalists who wish to dig up unconvenient facts.

[MarMema]

I see there is a journalist on trial for satirizing Putin.

I'm afraid the Russians have gone way too far into fascism, though as you know I defended them here for many years.

That said I treated myself to three bottles of excellent Georgian wine this afternoon while shopping. The Russian shopkeepers laughed when I pointed out that their fellow Russians at home no longer had access to the stuff, at least not on the free market.