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Legal Top Stories
One Pussy Riot member freed on suspended sentence
By CMU Editorial | Published on Wednesday 10 October 2012
According to the BBC, one of the Pussy Riot members jailed for two years in August for performing a protest song against Russian leader Vladimir Putin in a Moscow church has had her jail term switched to a suspended sentence, and can now go free.
Yekaterina Samustsev was one of three members of the punk outfit to be jailed in the controversial case. It’s not yet clear on the fate of the other two defendants, Maria Alyokhina and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova.
The conviction and sentencing of the musical activists was criticised by artists and free speech groups the world over. Some of the group’s closest supporters were pessimistic about the chances of the three women being freed from jail at their appeal hearing this week, even though Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev had told reporters he thought suspended sentences would be an acceptable conclusion. Putin, though, said at the weekend that he believes the musicians got what they deserved.