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Russian minister defends Pussy Riot sentence

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Oct. 3, 2012, 4:14 p.m. | Russia and former Soviet Union — by Associated Press

This image taken from video filmed by the band Pussy Riot and made available for APTN shows two unidentified band members wearing their trademark balaclavas and brightly colored miniskirts climb down an abandoned building in undisclosed location.
© AP

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NICOSIA, Cyprus — Russia's justice minister is defending a two-year prison sentence handed down to members of rock band Pussy Riot, rebuffing European Union concerns that the punishment was excessive.

Alexander Konovalov says the sentence given to the three band members for hooliganism after they performed a "punk prayer" against President Vladimir Putin at Moscow's main cathedral is a "a very subjective matter."

Konovalov was responding Wednesday to EU Home Affairs Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom who repeated EU concerns that the sentence was disproportionate to a "peaceful expression of protest," even though it may have offended many people.

Konovalov urged the EU to engage Russian authorities in dialogue on the issue instead of "coming up with a politicized assessment based on unverified information."

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