Russia's Pussy Riot

[bascom]

They get a two year jail sentence for illegal singing and protesting in a church. I think the 5 months they served already is more than enough, so this does sound like Putin's revenge.

http://uk.reuters.com/article/2012/0...87F0Y420120817

"(Reuters) - Three women from Russian punk band Pussy Riot were sentenced to two years in jail on Friday for their protest against President Vladimir Putin in a church, an outcome supporters described as the Kremlin leader's "personal revenge". The band's supporters burst into chants of "Shame" outside the Moscow courthouse and said the case showed Putin's refusal to tolerate dissent. The U.S. embassy in Moscow said the sentence appeared disproportionate to what the defendants did. The women have support abroad, where their case has been taken up by a long list of celebrities including Madonna, Paul McCartney and Sting, but opinion polls show few Russians sympathise with them...Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, 22, Marina Alyokhina, 24, and Yekaterina Samutsevich, 30, giggled as the judge read out the sentences one by one. They have already been in jail for about five months, meaning they will serve another 19."

[CrowdAds]

[Mikerman]

The U.S.'s First Amendment, preventing the government's abridgement of speech (as a general matter--and amongst other things), is a good thing.

[kp-j3]

I kind of liken this to the Dixie Chicks kerfuffle.

Feel free to do and say what you like, just don't be surprised when there are unexpected consequences. It's obvious Putin doesn't take any crap from anyone, so if you take on the bull, expect the horns.

[WalkGood]

Putin sounds like a pussy to me using bs law to get rid of dissent, they’re only guilty of freedom of speech. If he can’t take criticism he shouldn’t be leading a country. They shouldn't even be in jail, that sucks for them :/

[steinburger1109]

What are you talking about, everyone loves Putin!

You Tube

You Tube

[WalkGood]

I wouldn’t put much weight on the line “one like putin, who wouldn’t hurt me.” Come to think about it, I wouldn't put much faith in any politician, regardless of country

[The DarkSide]

Originally Posted by steinburger1109

What are you talking about, everyone loves Putin!

Wow!!! Talk about some ass kissing propaganda!!! Dumb lying bitches,...

[TackyTiger]

Originally Posted by steinburger1109

What are you talking about, everyone loves Putin!

If I were Putin I'd throw them in jail too, to show how fair I was.

[Jack4L]

Putting my opinions of Putin aside I honestly don't see anything wrong here, they kind of crossed the line of mere political protest. On the positive side its probably more effective for them to go to jail for 2 years then to be set free and forgotten.

[Big Sky]

Can't help but think of Circle Jerks "Coup d'etat" "anyone he doesn't likes he shoots or put behind bars"

[bascom]

One of them was freed.

http://news.yahoo.com/moscow-court-f...105031283.html

Moscow court frees 1 of 3 Pussy Riot members
"One jailed member of the punk band Pussy Riot unexpectedly walked free from a Moscow courtroom, but the other two now head toward a harsh punishment for their irreverent protest against President Vladimir Putin: a penal colony...The Moscow City Court ruled that Yekaterina Samutsevich's sentence should be suspended because she was thrown out of the cathedral by guards before she could remove her guitar from its case and thus did not take part in the performance."

[bascom]

The other two are going to a remote penal colony:

http://news.yahoo.com/russian-punk-b...184845429.html

"Two members of punk band Pussy Riot lost their appeal to stay in a Moscow pre-trial detention center on Monday, their lawyer said, and will now serve the remainder of their terms in a remote penal colony where conditions are much tougher. Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, 22, and Maria Alyokhina, 24, had their two-year sentence imposed over a cathedral protest against Vladimir Putin upheld by Moscow City Court last week. They are convicted of hooliganism motivated by religious hatred.

Both Tolokonnikova and Alyokhina have small children and lawyers are saying that a transfer to a colony outside Moscow where the regime is more strict than in detention centers will complicate their contacts with families. "There are many concerns there -- their safety, their health. A barrack for 150 people is not the same thing as a cell for four people," lawyer Mark Feigin told Reuters. The nearest penal colony is located about 100 km from Moscow."

[Mikerman]

It is at times like these, along with the recent murder attempt of the little girl by the Taliban (and its continuing threat to continue to try to murder her), that I am thankful, as flawed as it might be, that I live in the U.S. and am a citizen here. At least the U.S. tries to do the right thing (and, sometimes, even succeeds!).

[Frandroid]

2 years and the treatment they have been given is too much, but they deserved to be punished for being idiots and doing that in an orthodox cathedral. I believe in freedom of speech but also believe in respecting other people's opinions and beliefs.

Fighting a despotic government headed by a man like Putin, entering a cathedral and playing punk music in there is just dumb, dumb, dumb...