Mystery guest, would you sign in please

What world leader are the following news stories from last year about?

A)[. . .] opposition television station [N], which has led coverage of ongoing anti-government protests, said it had gone off the air after its building was stormed by special police forces wielding guns.

After the station announced it was being stormed, the signal was turned off to viewers[. . .]


B)[. . .] [X] on Tuesday ordered riot police dressed in black and wearing balaclavas to disperse protesting crowds with tear gas, water cannons, batons and fists. [. . .] "I was sitting in the car, not able to drive away because of the crush of people, not believing my eyes," he recalls. "Right in front of me [. . .] policemen were beating young and old people; some were on the ground badly injured. It was the scariest thing I have ever seen."

[. . .]He's ordered the use of force against peaceful demonstrators—with 360 people ending up in the hospital. Opposition leaders [. . .] have [. . .] disappeared after warrants were issued for their arrest[. . .]

[. . .] [X] was tested, and his instincts were those of a post-Soviet strongman [. . .]

Hint - it's not this guy.

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