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Pussy Riot Ruling Defended

Judges who ruled to keep two of the three Pussy Riot band members behind bars have defended their decision, saying it was made independently and without pressure.

The Moscow City Court on Wednesday had upheld a district court ruling to send Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and Maria Alyokhina to prison for two years, but released Yekaterina Samutsevich after giving her a suspended sentence.

Judge Larisa Polyakova told reporters Thursday that the panel of judges had deemed "correction of Tolokonnikova and Alyokhina" impossible outside prison. She denied that there was any pressure on the judges.

(AP)

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