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December 19, 2013

Russian Lawmakers Approve Mass Amnesty Bill; Pussy Riot Members Set for Release 
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The Russian parliament has approved a mass amnesty to thousands of
prisoners, including members of the punk group Pussy Riot and the
Greenpeace Arctic 30. Up to 22,000 people will be freed under an
initiative proposed by Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Greenpeace
Arctic 30 were arrested in September after trying to stop Russian oil
drilling in the Arctic. After the vote, Arctic 30 member Faiza Oulahsen
said she remains worried for her Russian colleagues.

Faiza Oulahsen: "For now, I'm not excited. We are being granted amnesty
for peacefully protesting in the Arctic. We did nothing wrong. We've
spent (time) in jail for doing nothing wrong, and now we are deemed
guilty, but granted amnesty, and 26 of us will be able to go home after
this, sooner or later. But what will this mean for our Russian
colleagues who still have the rest of their lives in this country?"

The two Pussy Riot members could be freed in the coming days after their
arrest for performing in a Moscow church nearly two years ago. Family
members say the amnesty comes too late, as they were already approaching
the end of their terms.

 

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