As we have already covered the outcome of Russia’s presidential elections a day before they were held, we are dedicating the day to human rights leader, colleague and friend, Lev Ponomarev, whose efforts to raise awareness about torture and abuse within Russia’s prison system has garnered extraordinary attention in recent weeks – so much so that the authorities have filed charges against him as punishment for his advocacy. The following exclusive interview was conducted by the editor of my blog with Ponomarev a few days before the remarkable article by Bret Stephens of the Wall Street Journal was published. Q: In the past you have commented on the need to separate human rights work from politics – that in Russia there are times in which it is important to maintain this gap in order to achieve progress…