The trial of the Russian girl band members on charges of hooliganism and the targeting of Russian blogger Alexy Navalny are a throwback to the campaigns of fear and intimidation of the Soviet era. President Vladimir Putin is intent on punishing those who’ve raised their voices the loudest. But in the new media age, he won’t likely succeed. Russia will continue its long, slow march toward a more open and democratic society, leaving Putin to ponder what went wrong.

To read the full analysis from top intelligence experts at LIGNET.com Click HERE