7°c A few clouds
18°c Sunny
Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION
Russian judges defend decision to jail Pussy Riot members
Sergey Ponomarev / The Associated Press Judge Larisa Polyakova: no pressure (CP)
MOSCOW -- The Russian judges who ruled to keep two of the three Pussy Riot band members behind bars took the unusual step of publicly defending their decision, saying Thursday it was made independently and without pressure.
A panel of three judges at the Moscow City Court on Wednesday upheld a lower court ruling to send Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and Maria Alekhina to prison for two years, but they released Yekaterina Samutsevich after giving her a suspended sentence.
Pussy Riot staged an impromptu punk performance at Moscow's main cathedral in February in protest against President Vladimir Putin and the Russian Orthodox Church hierarchy for openly supporting his rule.
The three women were convicted of hooliganism motivated by religious hatred, but they insist their protest was political in nature and not an attack on religion.
The case has caused controversy in Russia and been widely condemned in the West, which may have prompted the judges to speak out.
The presiding judge said the appeals court deemed it necessary for Tolokonnikova and Alekhina to remain incarcerated.
"The court has considered all the circumstances of the case and the level of danger to society and ruled that their correction is possible only in isolation from society," Larisa Polyakova said.
She said the fact the women both have a small child was taken into account at the lower court, which handed down two-year sentences on a charge that carries a maximum punishment of seven years in prison.
Polyakova said the leniency for Samutsevich reflected "her degree of participation" in the crime.
Samutsevich's lawyer made the case at the appeals hearing her client should be treated differently because she had been nabbed by security guards and taken out of the cathedral before she was able to join other band members in the performance.
The Pussy Riot trial has become a symbol of Putin's crackdown on dissent since returning to the presidency in May after four years as prime minister. Just days before the appeals hearing, Putin said he thought the lower court had been right to hand down a two-year prison term, a statement defence lawyers said would put pressure on the court.
Polyakova insisted the judges were not influenced by Putin's statements and made the decision "that we thought was necessary."
"There has never been any pressure on us in this case," she said.
-- The Associated Press
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition October 12, 2012 A20
More World
- Back to Top
- Return to World
More World
(1 of 30 articles for today)
FBI: Man fatally shot after becoming violent under questioning in Boston bombing probe
8:45 AM 0WASHINGTON - The FBI says a man being questioned by authorities in the Boston bombing probe was fatally shot when ...
Poll
Most Popular World
- Search for survivors of Oklahoma tornado nearly complete, as homeowners confront devastation
- Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris evacuated after suicide inside the landmark church
- Jury sent to begin deliberating whether to give Jodi Arias life in prison or death sentence
- Massive tornado roars through Oklahoma City suburb, killing at least 51
- Tornado leads CBS to pull season-ending episode of 'Mike & Molly'
- The pope and the devil: Francis' obsession with Satan leads to suspicion he performed exorcism
- Umbrella-gate stirs outrage
- US zoo looking into conception mystery after birth of anteater; no male in pen
- South Africa: Tears as court acquits Oscar Pistorius' brother in woman's death in accident
- Phone cracked? Cool
- Massive tornado roars through Oklahoma City suburb, killing at least 51
- Search for survivors of Oklahoma tornado nearly complete, as homeowners confront devastation
- Phone cracked? Cool
- US woman credits 'mother's instincts' in chase of 4-year-old daughter's abductor
- Umbrella-gate stirs outrage
- US zoo looking into conception mystery after birth of anteater; no male in pen
- Remote Alaska volcano continues to erupt, with lava fountains, ash plumes
- Boston Marathon runners who couldn't finish because of blasts can return in 2014
- The pope and the devil: Francis' obsession with Satan leads to suspicion he performed exorcism
- Jurors find Jodi Arias eligible for death penalty after murder conviction in boyfriend killing
- Amanda Berry, 1 of 3 women freed after held captive in Ohio home, arrives at sister's home
- Massive tornado roars through Oklahoma City suburb, killing at least 51
- Friendship with bomb suspect, complex chain of events leads to 3 being charged
- Police vow to solve shooting that wounded 19 people during Mother's Day parade in New Orleans
- Missing Pa. woman, last seen dropping off kids for school in 2002, surfaces in Fla.
- Cleveland police: Ohio captive suffered 5 miscarriages after being beaten and starved
- As Boston mourns, suspected brothers' radicalism comes into focus
- Jodi Arias convicted of first-degree murder, says she prefers death penalty
- Neighbours: Man in custody comforted missing girl's mom, helped search for missing US women
- High school baseball team lifts car to free 16-year-old girl
- Ray Manzarek, keyboardist and founding member of rock group The Doors, dies at 74 from cancer
- Argentina's 'dirty war' dictator dies
- Jury sent to begin deliberating whether to give Jodi Arias life in prison or death sentence
- Arias hearing a 'witch hunt,' lawyers say
- Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris evacuated after suicide inside the landmark church
- Trove of Muppets creator Jim Henson's items headed for NYC's Museum of the Moving Image
- Phone cracked? Cool
- Ray Manzarek, keyboardist and founding member of rock group The Doors, dies at 74 from cancer
- Hatchet-wielding hitchhiker who intervened in California attack arrested in NJ homicide
- Remote Alaska volcano continues to erupt, with lava fountains, ash plumes
- Argentina's 'dirty war' dictator dies
- Massive tornado roars through Oklahoma City suburb, killing at least 51
- Shady characters: Cookie Monster, Elmo accused of aggressive behaviour in Times Square
- U.S. envoy punted; Russia alleges spying
- 16 tornadoes wallop North Texas, 6 dead; Habitat homes among many devastated in 1 subdivision
- US woman credits 'mother's instincts' in chase of 4-year-old daughter's abductor
- 'Coronation Street' actor William Roache charged in UK over alleged rapes in 1967
- Coroner: 5-year-old boy shoots 2-year-old sister in US with rifle he got as a gift
- Hitler ate well, his food taster recalls
- Black bear wanders into LA-area suburbia, chases swimmers from pool, strands kids in class
- Female guards, rapidly growing in numbers, at heart of U.S. prison scandal
- Phone cracked? Cool
- Bill to alter rules of succession before Kate gives birth nears completion as Lords approve
- US tourists swim for nearly 14 hours after boat sinks near St. Lucia
- IBM makes movie about a little boy - a very little boy - by pushing molecules around
- Friendship with bomb suspect, complex chain of events leads to 3 being charged
Ads by Google
You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.
Have Your Say
New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.
The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010.