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RFE/RL Reports On Eve of Pussy Riot Verdict


Protesters supporting 'Pussy Riot' take part in an Amnesty International-sponsored protest near the Russian Embassy in London, 16Aug2012
As Russia watchers await tomorrow's expected verdict in the Pussy Riot trial, RFE/RL covers events in Russia and abroad. In addition to Radio Svoboda's livestream coverage from the Moscow courtroom, we'll bring you eyewitness reports from Berlin, Paris, Sydney, and Washington, D.C. as supporters around the world react to the fate of the three Pussy Riot defendants charged with hooliganism and insulting the feelings of Orthodox Christians.

Get recaps and follow breaking news on Radio Svoboda online (also in Russian), The Power Vertical on Twitter, and Russia Police Watch on Twitter.

# While the Pussy Riot trial makes international headlines, other young Russians detained for taking part in anti-government protests in May are battling charges that could land them in prison for up to 10 years.

# Amnesty International says that more than 70,000 of its petitions urging the authorities in Moscow to release jailed Pussy Riot members were trashed by the Russian Embassy in Washington

# Pussy Riot's A-List supporters include Madonna, Faith No More, Bjork and even Sir Paul McCartney. But leave it to Serbia's nationalist youth group Nasi to take the contrarian position with their new online game, "Shoot the Pussy Riot -- Death to Enemies."

# A little over 100 days into Putin's third term, it has become clear that the Kremlin has lost much of its mojo. Team Putin isn't controlling the national conversation anymore and Brian Whitmore of The Power Vertical explains why the Kremlin is losing.

# Russia's infamous "legal nihilism" wasn't built in a day, but a new report shows the scope of the phenomenon that the Pussy Riot defendants find themselves up against. For example, the judge who will read out tomorrow's judgement has a nearly perfect record -- 179 of 180 -- of issuing "guilty" verdicts.
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