Nor does the supreme leader's largesse extend to allowing a more plural society.

ECONOMIST: Iran

Syria is a multi-ethnic and religiously plural society.

CNN: After the fall of the House of Assad, could Syria be worse?

It is, and when Mr Berezovsky last week called a press conference by video-link from southern France to name the lucky 163, he explained why: Mr Putin, whom he helped bring to power, is going back on his promises of further reform, and is squeezing Russia's still weak attempts at a plural society.

ECONOMIST: A fugitive tycoon becomes a civil libertarian��maybe