What did Liu Xiaobo ever do to Moscow? Apparently the Nobel Prize-winning Chinese dissident has somehow offended the leadership residing in the Kremlin, as Russia has made a show out of its refusal to attend the Nobel Prize ceremony, reviving memories of the Soviet reaction to Sakharov’s prize. In doing so, Russia joins the esteemed ranks of countries such as Morocco, Cuba, and Kazakhstan, who clearly have nothing to hide in the area of political prisoners. Perhaps Mr. Putin and Mr. Medvedev just don’t happen to be fans of Anne Hathaway and Denzel Washington.
More to come soon.