The New York Times is reporting that an amnesty proposed by Russian President Vladamir Putin and passed by Russia’s lower house of parliament appears likely to free two members of Russian punk collective, Pussy Riot, who have spent two years imprisoned on charges of obscenity related to a YouTube video of a musical performance, sparking cries of cultural repression from the western world.
The amnesty was proposed by Putin to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Russia’s post-soviet constitution.
But the jailed musicians aren’t the only dissidents that may be effected.
From the article…
“Greenpeace said a last-minute amendment to the amnesty meant Russia
would almost certainly end legal proceedings against 30 people who faced
jail terms of up to seven years if convicted over a protest at an
offshore oil platform in September. This would allow the 26 foreigners
among them to go home.”
Read the full story here.Â
