Yesterday Russia’s opposition congregated in Helsinki for an all-day conference to do something that has become quite difficult within Russia – discuss her internal political problems and propose solutions for the future. The second annual Finnish-Russian Civic Forum was attended by both Robert Amsterdam and Yuri Schmidt (photo), described here by Helsingin Sanomat:

Russian dissidents call for tough stance from West “Medvedev’s talk of rule of law should be taken seriously” The West needs to take a tough line on human rights violations in Russia, said Russian defenders of human rights at a seminar held on the island of Suomenlinna in Helsinki on Monday. They feel that the West is currently paying foremost attention to trade and energy supplies, and problems of Russia are often overlooked.