‘Pussy Riot trial not about freedom of speech’

Published time: August 26, 2012 22:42
Edited time: August 27, 2012 02:42
From left: Pussy Riot punk group members Yekaterina Samutsevich, Mariya Alekhina and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, charged with hooliganism in Moscow\s Cathedral of Christ the Savior, hear the verdict announced in their trial in Moscow's Khamovnichesky Court (RIA Novosti / Alexander Utkin)

The hype about the Pussy Riot trial has a lot to do with western attitudes towards Russia, says Italian journalist Enza Ferreri. A Western prejudice against Russia is unquestionable, she argues.

Ferreri told RT that the West still buys into a stereotype that there is no freedom of speech in Russia, when in fact it is more democratic than many of its western counterparts and the Pussy Riot verdict proves it.

This verdict represents the views of ordinary Russians and the majority of Russians more than similar trials represent views of ordinary westerners,” she said.

The West has been very hypocritical when it comes to the Pussy Riot case, argues the journalist.

There has been a hundred members of Bundestag sending a letter of protest to the Russian embassy in Berlin about Pussy Riot episode. Now they will have a similar problem themselves, which shows that Pussy Riot has been made up into something it is not.”

According to Ferreri the trial has nothing to do with political opposition or freedom of speech.

“They have simply violated the law. Any civilized country has the law that protects feelings of religious people being offended,” she said pointing out that one thing is to offend someone inadvertently and another is to do it on purpose, which she says is the case of Pussy Riot.

“When they say that there is no freedom of speech in Russia, that Putin’s opponents are not allowed to speak, this is untrue because the media have been constantly criticizing Putin and they have been allowed to do so unlike many countries where you can`t criticize the regime.”

Pussy Riot are not on trial because they are against Putin, but because they have committed criminal acts which would be considered criminal in many civilized countries, she concluded.

Comments (42)

RedAli (unregistered) 28.08.2012 02:33

Two other members of pu*sy riots have been seen in Syria with Free Syrian Army and  Al-Qaeda's members,mastebating collectively to topple president Assad.

+1

Undo

stock (unregistered) 27.08.2012 23:47

no cry from western media about rights of julian assange or manning!

Mr. Putin -there is not much time left. Anglosaxon pirate race like English and Americans are spreading their evil design like wild fire on this world, 2020 is too late. Russia has to prepare for coming world war 3 imposed on it by England and run by USA. Russia must ally with China and Germany to destroy England the primary seat of evil.   ----- -------------------- -------------------- -------------------- -------------------- -------------------- ------------     4th June, 2007.      President putin is wrong when he says that russia should or will target the missile on europe if america goes with anti missile defence plan in Europe. Russia must target (rather than should) the nuclear missiles with multiple war heads against all the cities, towns and big villages( including military instalations) of england because this cold war -like the  one before- is being started by england for the benefit of english race only-.it is race war between the english parasite race versus the rest of the world-the sooner the rest of the world realizes that better it is for the world. look how germany wes villified soon after fall of soviet union-look how russia is being vilified immediately  after Putin made russia strong.   such is the evil propaganda of britihs spies inside america.  . poland is nothing but a proxy for the british parasites. It is no use targetting poland -target the main villain which is england and the english race which m ust be aniihilated fromt the face of the world.

+1

Undo

stock (unregistered) 27.08.2012 23:39

@SNAFU who wrote "RT is also developing a bad habit of calling radical Islamists "activists." The "Al Jazeeraization" of RT. I think the Russian government needs to seriously reconsider who manages and edits RT, to guard against subversive foreign influence which seems to be active in this organization. If RT wants to act as some NGO political group, it should do so without state funding and by declaring itself as a foreign agent."
Amn esty International s counterterrorism head Tom Parker, a former top British official, said that drones were clearly a “legitimate weapon of war”!!     Allowing britis h journalists is very dangerous-they are the spies working to destabilise al countries not under them. 10/02/2011, 00:08 besides whenever the english journalists infiltrate the news media or forum the news become propaganda for the english interest only. The same happend with CNn and is happening with al jareeza where english journalists infiltrated. Anot her example is Russia today where the english journalists have hijacked the agenda of Russian tv. Just one example out of thousand as to how much the english journalists do the propaganda for england even in Russian tv.

+1

Undo

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