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THREE MEMBERS of the Russian female punk band Pussy Riot have been sentenced to two years in prison following their conviction on hooliganism charges motivated by religious hatred.
The women’s trial has brought international criticism and sparked protests in Moscow, where some of their supporters – including opposition leader Sergei Udaltsov and former chess champion Garry Kasparov – were arrested. Demonstrations have been held in their support in Washington DC, Tel Aviv, Paris, London, Sydney and Dublin.
The conviction and sentencing have drawn outrage from their supporters on Twitter, as well as concerned comments from the EU, the US and Amnesty International.
“The US is concerned about both the verdict and the disproportionate sentences handed down by a Moscow court in the case against the members of the band Pussy Riot and the negative impact on freedom of expression in Russia,” US Department of State spokesperson Victoria Nuland said. “We urge Russian authorities to review this case and ensure that the right to freedom of expression is upheld.”
EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Catherine Ashton also described the sentence as “disproportionate” and criticised the affair for sentencing three young women for peacefully expressing their views:
Together with the reports of the band members’ mistreatment during their pre-trial detention and the reported irregularities of the trial, it puts a serious question mark over Russia’s respect for international obligations of fair, transparent, and independent legal process. It also runs counter to Russia’s international obligations as regards respect for freedom of expression.This case adds to the recent upsurge in politically motivated intimidation and prosecution of opposition activists in the Russian Federation, a trend that is of growing concern to the European Union. Respect for human rights and the rule of law is an indispensable part of the EU-Russia relationship.
British Foreign Office Minister Alistair Burt said that his government is “committed to a relationship with Russia in which we can discuss differences frankly and constructively”, adding: “We have repeatedly called on the Russian authorities to protect human rights, including the right to freedom of expression, and apply the rule of law in a non-discriminatory and proportionate way. Today’s verdict calls into question Russia’s commitment to protect these fundamental rights and freedoms.”
Former world chess champion and outspoken Putin critic Garry Kasparov was among the band’s supporters arrested outside the Moscow court yesterday:
Meanwhile, the bandmates of Maria Alyokhina, Yekaterina Samutsevich and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova released a new single recorded in their absence shortly after the verdict was announced. The single, Putin Lights Up the Fires, was released exclusively through the Guardian:
YouTube credit: ScarceMedia
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Independence of thought? She that sticks rigidly to Catholic Church dogma? Another political hypocrite.
Independent thought is a subjective thing, surely? I totally disagree with her views but she’s spot with the following -
“a willingness [exists] to stay silent in the face of poor policy making and vested interests”
she herself represents vested interests
the views she represents are an obstacle to this country ever moving forward. which isn’t to say that this isn’t true of FG and Lab as well. however, in her case, what is particularly galling is her attempt to present herself as any different from them.
all reactionary, all neo liberals, all impeding progress. what did we do to deserve people like this?
to think that we could have been an independent, forward thinking nation. instead, we have the same old bigots pushing the same old agendas.
why wont these people GO AWAY
Moronic comment. And, no matter how much I explain, you won’t understand your error.
Expected red thumbs. Fools come in packs…
Making my point. And you atill don’t get it.
Your getting peppered with those red thumbs
That I am. Are there any intelligent people left in cyberspace?
Exactly scildychops
Just you George and the deluded
This woman doesn’t seem to realise that she was elected to represent the people. The same people who were asked to exclude the suicide provision and said NO.
She refused to carry out the peoples wishes, she doesn’t deserve to be in office.
Did I hear she’s pregnant? That would validate her marriage now in her eyes? If not, she better get working on it. Wouldn’t want a pointless marriage…
Too simplistic Shanti. I assume you’re referring to the abortion issue when you made that comment?
Exactly Shanti. Those that voted against the abortion legislation are self indulgent and religious nuts. To talk of freedom from this woman is like asking the pope to china for democracy.
Shanti you don’t seem to understand how the system works
The people voted for Lucinda because she is an intelligent reasoned person and they believed she would make good decisions
Direct democracy such as a referendum have not impact on what lucinda should believe and behave
Bolli*
This is same women who brown nosed Enda and came on at every opportunity telling us they had deal on bank garentee as long as we voted yes ( pack of lies ) and when we voted no made us vote again till they got a yes she lorded over us telling us How great Fine Geal were until she decided herself and hubby were moral guardians of state and now she wants us to think she can save us ,
What are you babbling about. She had nothing to do with the bank guarantee. And what did she make us vote twice on?……Jesus, read a book or something
I think he is refering to the Lisbon Treaty, which she campaigned for both times.
Why don’t you just cease commenting, ms Creighton? No one is interested and everyone remembers what a contemptuous, hectoring little bully you were (and still are) before you adopted the mantle of victim. If the don’t remember then there really isn’t any hope.
The whip system gives to much power to too few. There is no balance. Td’s can’t decide if the bill is good it bad all they can do is what they are told.
It means that the dail is reduced to a glorified talking shop. Td can talk all they want but all it is is point scoring. The decisions are made by the inner few and the rest have to “toe the party line”.
Why bother with the charade just close the dail chamber and be done with it.
The whip system operates in pretty much every parliament in every successful developed country around the world. Without such discipline, a Government cannot govern and you risk ending up like Italy, where Governments come and go as often as a swear word is used on Love/Hate. Or you end up like the US, where it’s impossible to adopt legislation because members of Congress come under such pressure from lobbyists and vested interests that rational evidence-based decisions on the content of legislation or on Government policy become almost impossible. A whip system actually helps to shield individual TDs from the undue influence of paid lobbyists.
Nonsense.
This from the woman who backs Alan Shatter!
““Inconvenient questions and independence of thought are not welcome in our parliament”, she said” For a women that allows religious doctrine to override her sworn oath to the people of this state that is surely a bit rich? She would rather ignore independent thought and follow religious dogma rather than medical science, the law of the land and the peoples wishes.
While she wasn’t so forthright when she was part of the regime, she knows as a former insider how the system operates, and hard as it is to agree with her , she’s probably right!
I think its just you not welcome deputy!
Lucinda Creighton anagram:
Enduring Catholic!
Greet one!
You are a member of the rebel alliance and a traitor. …take her away.
It’s unworkable, if we didn’t have the whip system we would have a Dail made up of dozens of Jackie Healy Rae’s with a shopping list of demands for supporting the government. We would be in a worse situation.
We have a Dail made up of unthinking nodding fools at the moment. Not sure people being allowed independent thought and decisions would be worse to be honest.
Couldn’t be any worse
Couldn’t be any worse
Would this woman just feck off to somewhere and leave us alone.
Whether you agree with her on her personal belief is up each individual but with regards to the whip system as far as I am concerned she is right
Possibly the weakest politician in the Dail. Not much going on upstairs. Plays the political game but not much else. She will do well.
Fitted her quite comfortably up to recently!
Methinks the Lady does protest too much!
Ah the poor thing missing all friends.
I agree with you Lucianda,pity you did not express it within the party and try and change it.Our country is so fuc@@d up people are looking for direction they don’t know who to. Vote for,I know I will get a lot of red thumbs from people who think you are a right wing Catholic,which I think is not true, I believe you speak your mind which I wish we had more like. You.
So which one is not true? You think she is not right wing or she is not Catholic?
It strikes me she’s missing being the Belle of the ball at the annual shindig. Formerly she hung out of Indah’s rear like a haemhorroid at all public occasions.
She was happy with the whip system when it got what she wanted.
FOAD.
Independent, thought.
Lucnda, you had no problems remaining Loud (the opposite of quiet) in very staunch support of all the austerity that FG& labourr government inpsoed t on the average citizen. It was only on the matter that went against something that the vast majority in the people voted in support of, that you found you ‘Voice’. What the hell is all that about?
I suppose with the Ard Fheis going on, I wondered how long it would take the Journal to hold off on a Lucinda Creipo story!
Many people on here complain about Creighton due to her stance on abortion. Yet, she took a stance, and as a result lost her job. Anyone think of any other Minister that lost their jobs in recent times under similar circumstances?
Though I can’t stand the pro choice or pro life lobby, it seems to me the pro choicers find her a threat. A mid 30′s irish woman, ex Government Minister said no, and she’s now the world’s worst for doing so apparently.
Sam, she had no problem supporting Shatter attacking Wallace on public TV regarding a Garda patrol car pulling up alongside Shatter, asking him to put the phone away while at traffic lights, reporting it to the Garda commissioner who then sent it on to Shatter.
It tells you everything about her moral compass.
Maybe Sam, just maybe, people don’t like her because her own views always seem to trump those of the people she represents. Her constituents were second fiddle to her own agenda on many occassions. In the end it came down to her opinion on abortion re the party whip, but don’t assume its all the pro-choice lobby and only re one issue.. that, as you said to Shanti, is too simplistic…..
An attention seeker like this would be at home in SF/IRA
She s smokin hot thou
A lump of smokin’ dry ice would seem *hot* if you only see the other side of Cork city and United on the pub telly of a Sunday. Get some fresh air lad and live life a little more!
I am not arguing that she is attractive to look at .. but come on … How many times have you walked up to a good looking girl and said to yourself, as long as she doesn’t open her mouth for the rest of the night, she is in there. The same goes for girls alking up to guys… anyone remember the add 3-4 year ago … ‘Hey, its me, the guy from the bar’ Lucinda is that guy!!!
Until she speaks….
Lucinda, the best example of excess ambition versus no talent you will ever see.,dreadful woman.
That’s great Lucinda tell us something we don’t know – the dog in the street knows that
Was there a need to use an unflattering photo of this woman? Or was it just used to push the button of her haters?
Although I disagree with her position on the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act, I strongly believe that the Party Whip should not be applied on votes regarding matters of conscience. This is particularly true in Ireland where people have strong views on either side on matters such as this. I seem to remember that Liam Cosgrave, while Taoiseach, voted against his one Coalition Government on a similar matter such as divorce or contraception and still remained Taoiseach and Leader of Find Gael. And his Coalition did not enjoy the majority the current Coalition does. The Act would have been passed in any case with the support of majority of Fine Gael, Labour and Sinn Fein deputies and others.
They are elected and paid very well to represent us the people, not their own personal obsessions! Unless that was the main platform on which people elected her, then she should represent the electorate! In what other area of work would you get paid to pursue your own ideas rather than the view of the people who ultimately pay your salary???!!! Public Servants, and don’t forget it please!
The problem is anything can become a matter of conscience, from a new tax or a cut in child welfare, to some environmental policy. Why should matters of conscience be limited to issues on which the Roman Catholic Church has taken a strong stance? It’s just not tenable to allow TDs to decide when they want to support their party or not. Let them become independents if they can’t support the policy positions that their party has chosen to pursue.
Independent though so woman have the right to choose
Creighton is a hypocrite. The whip system operates in pretty much every parliament in every successful developed country around the world. Without such discipline, a Government cannot govern and you risk ending up like Italy, where Governments come and go as often as a swear word is used on Love/Hate. Or you end up like the US, where it’s impossible to adopt legislation because members of Congress come under such pressure from lobbyists and vested interests that rational evidence-based decisions on the content of legislation or on Government policy become almost impossible. A whip system actually helps to shield individual TDs from the undue influence of paid lobbyists working for large corporations or other interests.
Empty vessels make the most noise!
Red handed youth defence will soon be here…..
Creighton only cares about Creighton, loads of ambition, zero talent, typical politician, she’ll be grand
All the whips in the world wouldn’t keep Lucinda silent.
What TDs need to have the grace and humility to acknowledge is that the discourse should no longer be confined to what a party whip or individual TD thinks the people want – it should include what the people who elect the TDs are telling them they want.
We need more representative democracy – we are no longer willing to just elect somebody and pay them as a people to fulfil their own personal fantasies of how the world should be.
Did most people originally elect Lucinda because of her views on the Protection of Life During Pregnancy – probably not.
TDs need to be having TD forums at a local level where people from all communities and communities of interest can debate what kind of society they wish to see and how TDs can work FOR the people towards this. Not all of your personal beliefs as a TD are in tune with the people who elected you, and you are not being paid to pursue your own personal obsessions; you are being paid to represent the people.
have your say