Annoying rough edges

The 59th World Newspaper Congress has opened in Moscow, and the 13th International Forum of Editors is taking place in parallel with it. An event of this scale is certainly a positive thing for Russia. However, the congress almost began with a scandal: the president of the congress, Gavin O'Realley, was actually forced to remove criticism of the state of freedom of speech in Russia from his report, so as not to put Putin in an awkward position. And before the arrival of the president himself, three or four unknown people scattered leaflets around the hall, chanting: “Putin is the executioner of freedom!”