A Republican Party paradise! Where Christianity is basically the state religion & anyone who says something negative about it is jailed or worse!

The communist facade was only temporary. It has always been run by Czars. It is no different today

Russia is behaving very much like it did under the Tsars, and not as it did with the better of them.

I see no hope for Russia changing until Putin is dead and buried.

I thought that Med. wanted to be more modern than his benefactor and that there was some tension between them.

Nonetheless, Putin will continue until death to have substantial influence.

I would add that those unhappy with the Assange situation might be a tad more upset about the Russian situation.

Putin's support of Assange should not shield him from substantial cricitism over the girl band whose name I would rather not type.

(Too many years in Methodist Sunday School warped my brain for what I can see is the rest of my life.)

I heard they were in jail for pulling a stunt at a church as a political protest of Putin and the Russian Orthodox Church's support for Putin.

What difference does it make if they did say anything negative about Christianity?

Was just replying to a post that said if you say anything bad about christianity you get arrested in russia. To me it looks more like political persecution than religious.

making a mockery of the church & its support of Putin. Regardless they should not be going to prison!

They kick butt. I just love 'em.

...you said it.

SENTENCING: Each band member receives two years each and begins from the day of the arrest and they will serve this time in prison.

WTF? So it was the religious motivation, not just the hooliganism, that warranted the 2 year sentence? Wow, Putin would fit right in with the Repukes.

That is what this was about. They have been so-called "hooligans" in other places, including Red Square, many times before.

Sounds like Singapore
BTW, Thom Hartmann is a radio show. I had a rental car with SiriusXM-Left last week and tuned in to his show.

The judge made up a two-year minimum, and sentenced them to that, after a theocratic, anti LGBT, anti feminism, anti free speech rant.

Observers are calling it a Stalinesque and Naziesque show trial, and it was. I have even read there are significant doubts all of the three are even in Pussy Riot

Source: CBS/AP

great defenders of religious freedom, that they had to step right up to this violation of their sensibilities. Marching Jews/gays/dissidents off to Siberia over the years? Oh, that's different! Putin and his KGB are off the rails.

He's no different than Idi Amin or Pinochet. Look at what he did to Chechnya.

They were trying to call attention to Putin and I guess the whole situation in Russia. By the way they held in custody and the movement the grew up around them it looks like they win in a weird way. Despite having to spend time in jail, they got attention focused on the legal system in Russia.

They're very brave girls.

in terms of world-wide publicity. While the prosecutor wanted three years, Putin's comment in London that he hoped they wouldn't be too severely punished sent a signal to the judge to go easy.

They chose the cathedral because the church supports the state in all things, and they wanted to protest this as well. But calling it "religious hatred" draws attention away from what they were actually singing about – Putin's abuses of power.

In the old days of the Soviets, "hooliganism" was a charge levelled at anyone who dared breathe a word of criticism, and they would generally be carted away to be "treated" at a state mental institution.

Jail won't be any picnic for them, but they've highlighted Putin's authoritarianism, and now we all know who they are - who among us had ever heard of them before this? They knew exactly what they were doing, and their demeanour in court shows this.

They are, relatively speaking, quite lucky to have got the sentence they did.

Under Pennsylvania law their act would be in violation of Section 3503 Defiant trespass:
http://law.onecle.com/pennsylvania/crimes-and-offenses/00.035.003.000.html
and as such a misdemeanor of the third degree, given people told them to leave while they were doing their "Protest".

They would also be guility of § 5508. Disrupting meetings and processions.
http://law.onecle.com/pennsylvania/crimes-and-offenses/00.055.008.000.html
Which is another misdemeanor of the third degree

This would also be § 5503. Disorderly conduct, another misdemeanor of the third degree.

And under Pennsylvania law they could be sentence up to a year imprisonment for EACH misdemeanor of the third degree they are convicted of:
http://law.onecle.com/pennsylvania/crimes-and-offenses/00.001.006.000.html

Thus these three women, if they had done what they did in Pennsylvania would have been facing up to three years imprisonment. One year for each of the above crimes. Other states have similar laws.
.

Absolutely not.

Act-Up did "worse" things than Pussy Riot did, and they certainly didn't have a show trial like this.

I want to see some test results.

Not saying he deserved 2 years for his political protest, but they still recognized it as such, and gave him a much lower sentence.

The judge even said if Tim kept his mouth shut he wouldn't have even been prosecuted, but because he left a trail of evidence it made him prosecutable. A really sympathetic judge if I heard of one.

He's a hero.

The officials leasing off public land without following proper procedures should be in jail instead.

I have been on the receiving end of a serious trespass in Pennsylvania that could have been charged as a class B Felony, which this would not, but that's about what these ladies would get. Personally, I think that a minor misdemanor would be plenty.

There would be no jail time, but there would be a sternly worded lecture from the court about time and place rules applying to free speech, and then a bunch of community service. An apology by the band for their failure to get a permit to demonstrate near the church would help, but might not be necessary.

That's just preposterous. They apologized. Those laws would only be upheld if they were highly defiant and didn't accept that they did something wrong. In Russia they did accept wrongdoing, apologized, and still got this sentence. This is outrageous.

our love and support

This sentencing is ridiculous. We should grant them asylum. Then again, you never know if the fundies here would throw them in the slammer as well.

Unbelievable. Here's a Reddit thread discussing just how fucked up this is.

Rapist gets 1 month for RAPE. Teacher gets 8 years as a scapegoat. Rich Patriarchs get off scott free for various crimes and cronyism. Protesters who apologize for what they did get 2 years.

Outrageous.

This is nothing, 2-yrs minimum sentencing laws get you in prison for 2-yrs if you are a permit carrying gun holder and drive thru Massachusetts. Basic right to bear arms is not respected by that state, nor do they respect the laws of the other states and because their law carries a minimum sentence of two years, they will not look the other way. I know this because a friend of mine did the full time for doing just that. He had a permit to carry and kept it in the trunk. He was an installer of 3D projection systems in theatres and had equipment stolen from him before and a lot of theatres are in shady areas, it was his on the job protection. After completing an install he dropped a friend off at the airport (only reason he was in the state). He ended up driving thru a state park and got pulled over for speeding. The cop asked him if he had anything in the car he should know about, and he said he had a gun in the trunk but he had a permit in the glove compartment. 2 years later and he endured verbal torture from drug dealers, etc. for serving a longer sentence than they would, persecuted for being a Christian by the inmates as well. Judge said he was sorry to sentence him for this, but there was nothing he could do as it was because of the minimum sentencing laws.

This is as opposed to these three who were out to stir up trouble. Same sentencing, but because the band is a feminist group and begins with the name "Pussy" they will get support here and elsewhere and probably serve less time than a working guy whose only crimes were speeding in a nearly empty state park with a gun in the trunk that would have been legal in right to carry states. Separate but Equal is not equal, states should be respectful of the other states carry permits.

...your gun-nuttery is duly noted - now you can go away.