2012-08-17

Russian judge sentences blasphemers to two years in prison

Russian punk protesters sentenced to two years jail
A judge sentenced three members of Russian feminist punk band Pussy Riot to two years jail on Friday for staging a protest against President Vladimir Putin in a church, an act the judge called "blasphemous".

...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 polls show few Russians sympathize with them.

..."Tolokonnikova, Samutsevich and Alyokhina committed an act of hooliganism, a gross violation of public order showing obvious disrespect for society," the judge said.

"The girls' actions were sacrilegious, blasphemous and broke the church's rules."

Though few Russians have much sympathy for the women, Putin's opponents portray the trial as part of a wider crackdown by the former KGB spy to crush their protest movement.

...But Valentina Ivanova, 60, a retired doctor, said outside the courtroom before the verdict was delivered: "What they did showed disrespect towards everything, and towards believers first of all."

"Let them get three years in jail; they need to wise up."

...An opinion poll of Russians released by the independent Levada research group on Friday showed only 6 percent had sympathy with the women, 51 percent said they found nothing good about them or felt irritation or hostility, and the rest were unable to say or were indifferent.
It can not be overstated that much of the hype surrounding this case came from Western media outlets, and I'd wager the girls may have even received lighter sentences if it wasn't for all the foreign attention.

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