Dobson says that under Vladimir Putin, the Russian government has passed a raft of laws that enable the authorities to squash activists with fines and prison sentences.
Vladimir Putin —
Dobson says that under Vladimir Putin, the Russian government has passed a raft of laws that enable the authorities to squash activists with fines and prison sentences.
ALEXEY DRUZHININ/AFP/Getty Images
In Venezuela, President Hugo Chavez has engineered the electoral rules with some of the world's most sophisticated gerrymandering, according to Dobson.
Hugo Chavez —
In Venezuela, President Hugo Chavez has engineered the electoral rules with some of the world's most sophisticated gerrymandering, according to Dobson.
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In King Abdullah's Jordan, Dobson says the government has proposed one reform after another -- without ever curbing the monarchy's true power.
King Abdullah —
In King Abdullah's Jordan, Dobson says the government has proposed one reform after another -- without ever curbing the monarchy's true power.
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In Malaysia, when people protested the banning of street demonstrations, Prime Minister Najib Razak referred to them as a "sign of a mature democracy" -- the perfectly tailored reply of the modern authoritarian, according to Dobson.
Najib Razak —
In Malaysia, when people protested the banning of street demonstrations, Prime Minister Najib Razak referred to them as a "sign of a mature democracy" -- the perfectly tailored reply of the modern authoritarian, according to Dobson.
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Syria offers a daily reminder than some dictators still opt for a bloodbath -- much like his father, Bashar al-Assad has tried to crush a rebellion through force. Dobson says Assad's government will never win back its legitimacy.
Bashar al-Assad —
Syria offers a daily reminder than some dictators still opt for a bloodbath -- much like his father, Bashar al-Assad has tried to crush a rebellion through force. Dobson says Assad's government will never win back its legitimacy.
AFP/Getty Images/file