up to and including interest in the West

That same "Caucasian mathematician," it turns out, did not delete his blog: **The rector and the faculty leadership are not as foolish as Yashin and Navalny, and are unlikely to fire me on their own. If it were only talk, then things at RUDN University (Peoples' Friendship University of Russia) would improve much more than they have so far. But if political organizations start putting pressure on them, that will most likely create a major scandal, possibly even attracting interest in the West. Of course, it would be better if it did not become that big of a scandal. I had planned economic migration, which would essentially have been political emigration, but not real political exile (that has been tainted by opportunists from various countries seeking free benefits). **http://nkhodzhaev.blogspot.com/2008/07/blog-post_25.html and, apparently, he is not at all opposed to becoming a victim of political repression.