Friday August 17, 2012, 4:24 pm
"A man in the courtroom shouted "Shame!" and hundreds of protesters outside the Moscow courthouse repeated that chant and whistled when news of the sentence came."

So much for a free Russia. So much for democracy in Russia. So much for free speech in Russia. I'd like to see every freaking Russian "athlete" enriching themselves at our table, expelled and sent back to Russia. Maybe that would waken the Russian people. Maybe those fabulously wealthy Russians could then affect real change in their homeland, instead of spending their time selling tennis dresses, perfumes, and cars to people who need no help acquiring any of those things here, but whose presence might give a voice to their own people.

Friday August 17, 2012, 6:36 pm
OUTRAGEOUS

Friday August 17, 2012, 8:02 pm
Damn, damn, damn. How can this happen so openly? Keep emailing, signing petitions and speaking out. This is blatant diisregard of human rights.

Friday August 17, 2012, 9:56 pm
I posted this on fb while still in shock when this came out this morning, and i'm still having trouble wrapping my head around it, it's just terrible news.

A few short years ago the "younger generation" appeared to be having a love affair with Putin, and threw a lot of support behind him...i sure hope this has the totally opposite effect.

Saturday August 18, 2012, 3:57 am
they coing to take de darknes out off russia..what a function!!

Saturday August 18, 2012, 4:39 am
Noted.

Saturday August 18, 2012, 5:03 am
Actually, the offense seems to be much more about desecrating a church than it does about protesting Putin. What they did was a trivial act of trespassing worthy of a nominal fine at worst; the church seems to be regaining its old medieval powers. This is not a good road to go down, and I question how much better things really are right here in the USA; the prisons here are quite full, and imprisoning people has become profitable.

Saturday August 18, 2012, 5:09 am
Noted.

Saturday August 18, 2012, 6:40 am
Noted and Thanx Cal :-0

Saturday August 18, 2012, 7:21 am
Watching the mainstream news try to deal ith the band name -and it seems none did- was funnier.

Saturday August 18, 2012, 8:26 am
Putin thinks he is God.

Saturday August 18, 2012, 9:57 am
When I was in Russia, I was struck by how many churches were open and how many people were in them. Older people were carefully tutoring children in the rites and so on.

If Putin gives the church a heavy influence.....Russia will become EXACTLY the nation it was before the last revolution. A corrupt church supporting corrupt leaders.

Saturday August 18, 2012, 1:12 pm
This is a blatant violation of civil rights. Absolutely incredible that this is happening in the 21st century.

Saturday August 18, 2012, 4:36 pm
Noted

Saturday August 18, 2012, 10:39 pm
noted

Sunday August 19, 2012, 12:19 am
I support their right to speak up but I do understand that the place they chose to do so was offensive to many Russians who for so long dreamed of having the right to worship. They perhaps should have chosen another venue.

Sunday August 19, 2012, 12:34 pm
I CAN NOT believe they were sentenced to two years for peacfilly protesting by singing a flipping song this is outrageous! Noted and thanks for the update Cal

Monday August 20, 2012, 2:06 am
they are such young looking women and they have children. Two years is very harsh.