Valeria Novodvorskaya, 1950-2014

Valeria Novodvorskaya, the great Soviet dissident and Russian freedom fighter, died today in Moscow. She was tried several times under the Soviet regime and imprisoned in mental hospitals as were other implacable opponents of the system. She had been outspoken in her criticism of Putin – since 1999, not 2003 or 2007 or 2012 like many others – and did not mince words. Some “reasonable” people wrote her off as a crazy old lady. Unfortunately, most of her criticisms have proved valid. She shouldn’t have gone so early.