Russia’s human rights ombudsman on Thursday called the prison sentences handed down to three women from punk band Pussy Riot “excessive” and warned that the case was igniting dangerous tensions within society.
The trio were convicted of hooliganism motivated by religious hatred by a Moscow court on August 17 after belting out a profanity-laced anti-Putin song on the altar of Moscow’s main cathedral in February.
Vladimir Lukin, who was originally nominated for his advisory role by President Vladimir Putin, said he might challenge the sentencing of Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, Maria Alyokhina and Yekaterina Samutsevich if their jail terms were upheld on appeal.