"Sometimes I think that a parody of democracy could be more dangerous than a blatant dictatorship, because that gives people an opportunity to avoid doing anything about it."

"I am not a human rights activist. I am a politician. And as a politician, I have to take into account the interests of the whole country."

"I'm not a very good gardener. But I enjoy spending time in nature."

"We have to be careful not to create a new kind of discrimination."

"I don't believe in professional dissidents. I think it's just a phase, like adolescence."