"Vladimir Putin’s inauguration was marred by the repressive measures the Russian state police force has used to quash peaceful protests. His regime fails to understand that Russia in 2012 is a different place than it was in 2004, when he was last president. The Russian people are now seeing the future of our country beyond the bounds of autocracy and beginning to express themselves in a peaceful and democratic way."

May 7th, 2012. Moscow, the Kremlin ceremony.

"Russia’s government may think that suppressing these lawful demonstrations will help it retain power, but its despicable and violent actions only unify the opposition and accelerate the pace of social and political change," Khodorkovsky concludes.

IMR continues to follow events in Moscow and will soon publish a report on the international media response to Putin’s return to the presidency and the demonstrations.