Russia passes amnesty bill, which releases over 25,000 prisoners, including Greenpeace30/Pussy Riot

The Russian parliament, or Duma, voted 446-0 in favor of the amnesty bill, which includes first-time offenders, minors and women with small children among the beneficiaries.

news.yahoo.com...
america.aljazeera.com...
www.dw.de...
www.theguardian.com...

20,000 in the article is wrong, actually is more near to 25000, according to updated sources (hasn´t reached international media yet). In numbers, it means roughly 4% of all prisoners.

Despite it being largely a political move, as Olympics are coming, I still have nothing against such actions. Just like in US, in Russia it is also quite easy to end up at prison - 8th in the world by incarceration rate per 100k, in US, who has the highest incarceration rate, there are 50% percent more people in prison per capita (716(US) vs 484(Russia)).

Still a very positive move, considering most of these prisoners are in prison due to soft/small crimes, and have learned their lesson. So far it is confirmed that the Greenpeace 30 is included in the list, it is believed Pussy Riot members will also be released due to having small children, although no confirmation yet on that one.

reply to post by Cabin


Shame they released the Greenpeace scum. Piracy should be punnsished without mercy.

reply to post by crazyewok


That was sarcasm/irony?

There was no actual piracy involved...

They simply used motorboats and went from their ship to the Arctic oil drilling platform and tried to stop drilling. No violence involved.

Day later, SWAT team raided their ship and arrested everybody...

I see nothing, even resembling piracy in this case...

Cabin
reply to post by crazyewok

 

That was irony?

There was no actual piracy involved...

They simply used motorboats and went to the Arctic oil drilling platform and tried to stop drilling. No violence involved.

Day later, SWAT team raided their ship and arrested everybody...

I see nothing, even resembling piracy in this case...

Interfering with a legitmate business operation is piracy.

If they had a problem they should have taken it up with lawyers.

Dont kick a beehive and cry if you get stung.


Anyway I have no love for greenpeace at the best of times, they are only just above PETA in regards to lack of respect.

reply to post by crazyewok


Considering the corruption rates in Russia,which is believed to be one of the highest among advanced nations (in rankings 133rd least corrupt country) it is very questionable whether the actions were legitimate or not, especially considering how large amounts of money are involved in the business.

Same goes towards court system, starting a court battle against against the corporations is more likely to do more harm to you than to them.

Personally I do not support arctic drilling, we have already ruined the majority of the planet for our "comforts", why ruin the only place, we have not ruined yet? Money should not be considered more important that the environment. Extracting the resources gives short term financial bonus, while creating long-term damage to the environment surround the extraction area. Not worth it, but well, system is quite corrupt every where and lets such things happen and there is not much an average joe can do against it, considering the finances involved in the business.

reply to post by Cabin

The Russian parliament, or Duma, voted 446-0 in favor of the amnesty bill, which includes first-time offenders, minors and women with small children among the beneficiaries.

And a Merry Christmas to All ...

Peace on Earth

reply to post by crazyewok


You have no love of Greenpeace? Ya Don't say.........

At least they have the nuts to do something more about something that is wrong than post on a forum..... Risking their lives and freedom to stop the slaughter of fairly smart critters is more worthy than anything I think you may have done to change the world....

Terrorist or freedom fighter, all depends on your politics....

Mamatus
is more worthy than anything I think you may have done to change the world....

Haha wanna bet? I was on a team that helped find a quicker way to diagnose Non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

So yeah I think Iv contributed something in my 26 years

It wouldn't surprise me if anyone voted against the amnesty , they would soon have filled up one of those newly free prison spaces.

reply to post by Cabin


No corruption doesn't exist in the Grand Euporean Union does it now? nor in America? :rolleyes:

crazyewok
reply to post by Cabin

 

Shame they released the Greenpeace scum. Piracy should be punnsished without mercy.

Agree you don't go to anyones workplace and interfere. you gotta go through protocol and rationalize the situation.
Not carry on like a spoiled 6 year old in the grocery store.

Cabin
reply to post by crazyewok

 

That was sarcasm/irony?

There was no actual piracy involved...

They simply used motorboats and went from their ship to the Arctic oil drilling platform and tried to stop drilling. No violence involved.

Day later, SWAT team raided their ship and arrested everybody...

I see nothing, even resembling piracy in this case...

edit on 18-12-2013 by Cabin because: (no reason given)

Thats classed as tress-pass then.

Hmmm. Russia is getting a little better and of course the USA security agencies are getting more paranoid. I don't blame the government of the USA for getting concerned, look at how many people are on mind altering pharmaceutical chemistry that lowers inhibition.

amraks

Agree you don't go to anyones workplace and interfere. you gotta go through protocol and rationalize the situation.
Not carry on like a spoiled 6 year old in the grocery store.

Yup the guys on the drilling platform were just doing there job.
They would not have had the authority to stop drilling, thats the job of the suites in a office back in moscow.

There was a report on the BBC this morning that Mikhail Khodorkovsky has been released also. Will try and find a link when I get a second.

Her ya go...pardoned, not just released. Interesting.

Khodorkovsky 's release

Wouldn't it be something to see our own President, just once, do something similar. I don't, personally, see political prisoners as such to compare but this Holiday Season I'll bet there are plenty of 1st time offenders or other statutory violators in cells. I didn't think Putin had it in him to be Santa-like ...and I'm sure other motives are involved...but it sure made a lot of people really happy and without much harm done by the sound of selection here.

I can't see why a Merry Christmas in a general one time pardon of the petty crap on low-no risk offenders couldn't be done.

reply to post by Cabin


The sky's the limit for Pussy Riot. I would love to be at their first Moscow concert (although it will be attended by subdued fans with more security taking pictures than fans), but would really love to be at their first USA or German or London concert. They will probably be joined on stage by Miley and Madonna and other one-namers (Bono?), and maybe even record with them. Great news, and at least the lead Pussy Riot singer will get out of Siberia a few months early.