Just announced. While we're all discussing the merits of another so called human rights campaigner.....
Three members of the Russian feminist punk band Pussy Riot are in court today to hear the verdict in their trial on charges of hooliganism motivated by religious hatred, following the performance of a "punk prayer" against Vladimir Putin in a Moscow cathedral.Prosecutors have asked for three year jail sentences for Maria
Alyokhina, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and Yekaterina Samutsevich, arguing they had insulted all of Russian Orthodoxy and if not jailed would
pose a continuing danger to society. Their defence team has argued
that the women's performance was an act of opposition against Putin
and that the prosecution was politically motivated.Defenders outside the court room, including human rights groups,
Madonna and Sir Paul McCartney, have backed the women in the name of freedom of speech and conscience.In a letter to her supporters on Thursday, Tolokonnikova wrote: " I
have no private spite. But I have political spite. Our being in jail
is a clear and distinct sign that freedom is being taken away from the
whole country ... And this threat of destruction of the liberating,
emancipatory forces of Russia is what makes me angry."
The women have argued that their February performance inside Moscow's Cathedral of Christ the Saviour - singing "Virgin Mary, drive Putin away!" - was designed to call attention to the politicisation of the
Orthodox church, which was a key agitator for Putin's re-election.
Church officials have said their trial was willed by God.
No surprise on the verdict
Church officials have said their trial was willed by God.
Yes of course it was.
Martyrs
I heard this on the news.
WTF are the Russian authorities doing? If they had just ignored it nothing would have happened. But bang them up and the whole world gets to know about it when it is sat on the khazi at 6:00am listening to the radio.
mcboo - Member
so called human rights campaigner
You keep saying this but where does it come from?
ok lets call him a freedom of information campaigner, happy?
Inside his head.
Martyrs
Are they executing them then?
Every single person who supports the church in Russia and the government of Russia from this point in, and (by extension) the symbiotic relationship that supports both of those evil and corrupt institutions, is a scumbag.
All IMHO, of course.
[i]WTF are the Russian authorities doing?[/i]
Pretty sure they don't give a shit what "the west" thinks.
Pretty sure they don't give a shit what "the west" thinks.
True. But it did upset my morning ablutions. Crapping during the Olympics was a much more karmic experience.
WTF are the Russian authorities doing?
Suppressing any form of dissent. Basic stuff really for any paranoid dictatorship.
A group of Orthodox believers are singing a religious song outside the court, and one of them says: "I want Pussy Riot and all who support them to burn in the fire."
[url= http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hjrnZLZ0U4fb11je4pS7HLrcsddA?docId=CNG.17b26ffbdb3d9a4c4d5a119a1f6beef6.391 ]Charming that is...[/url]
In other news today
[i]Gay parades banned in Moscow for 100 years
Moscow's top court has upheld a ban on gay pride marches in the Russian capital for the next 100 years.[/i]
Gives them time to get into the 21st century..?
mcboo - Member
ok lets call him a freedom of information campaigner, happy?
Yes, seeing as he's never made any intimation of being a human rights campaigner and it was just something you made up.
Pussy riot are OK, but my favorites are Femen. There's protesters and then there's [i]protesters[/i]
Lifer. When you have finished having a pop at me for daring to describe a suspected multiple sex offender as a human rights campaigner do you care to flag your support for actual human rights campaigners in Putin's Russia?
bit of a leap that.to describe a suspected multiple sex offender as a human rights campaigner
oh dearOrthodox church, which was a [b]key agitator for Putin's re-election[/b].
Church officials have said their trial [b]was willed by God[/b].
mcboo - Member
Lifer. When you have finished having a pop at me for daring to describe a suspected multiple sex offender as a human rights campaigner do you care to flag your support for actual human rights campaigners in Putin's Russia?
Why, does Putin read STW and place particular gravitas on my opinion of his conduct?
do you reckon macca mimed his vocal support?
Don't you hate crap/lazy reporting:
[i]Defenders outside the court room, including human rights groups,
Madonna and Sir Paul McCartney, have backed the women in the name of freedom of speech and conscience.[/i]
What, Madonna and Macca were outside the court room? Doubt it.
Its the internet, people read it in Russia (for now). Can you bring yourself to criticise Putin?
Brilliant.
DezB - MemberMoscow's top court has upheld a ban on gay pride marches in the Russian capital for the next 100 years.
Gives them time to get into the 21st century..?
Putin seems to be struggling with the fundamentals of the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries.
(ie, something approaching a civilisation based upon fair and equal application of the law)
i know our country isn't perfect, but there's a difference between 'not perfect' and 'ba*-&&it mental'.
Don't you hate crap/lazy reporting:Defenders outside the court room, including human rights groups,
Madonna and Sir Paul McCartney, have backed the women in the name of freedom of speech and conscience.What, Madonna and Macca were outside the court room? Doubt it.
Are you suggesting that they were inside the court room, because that seems far less likely?
Madonna's backing was to dedicate a live performance of "Like a Virgin" to them. Hope it helped.
Come on, have you actually heard the music? It is truely shocking. The music was the real crime and my ears were just two of the many, many victims of the cruel and senseless act.
That'll be a no then Lifer. These women put their liberty at risk to protest against the authoritanianism of Putin while Julian Assange cowers from Swedish justice. Swedish!
while Julian Assange cowers from Swedish justice. Swedish!
american, mcboo, american
Putin may pose as a nationalistic, homophobic strongman. But we all know the truth don't we Vlad!
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Nice moobs
Hope you enjoy your polonium latte, woppit.
So in just under a century Russia has moved from the despotic rule of the Czar, via the despotic rule of a single party, to the despotic rule of Putin. Pity the massed ranks of the Russian people.