Closed captioning of: Punk band verdict sparks anger
>>>
we're back with a story that set off a
fire storm
around the world tonight. it began six months ago with an obscure protest in a
moscow
church. arrest followed, a trial, and today a
prison sentence
that is raising questions about justice in
vladimir putin
's russia. here is nbc's duncan golestani.
>> reporter:
inside the courtroom, smiles when the verdicts came, these three protesters are educated,
middle class
, two of them mothers. they say the whole trial has been unfair and decided to laugh in the face of what they see as
putin
's oppressive system. outside the court anger and a crackdown by police. even the chess star
gary kasparov
was arrested. this kind of reaction is one reason the
punk band
says it started protesting in the first place. th this is the so-called punk prayer that got them arrested back in february. they stormed the altar after
moscow
cathedral calling on the
virgin mary
to chase
vladimir putin
away. it infuriated the faithful and the authorities. critics say the arrests were
putin
's personal revenge and this trial was simply an instrument of his oppression.
>>
putin
is a man who likes to show his vengeance and for them it seemed like the perfect chance to do it rncht the tri.
>> reporter:
the trial brought international condemnation from stars such as
paul mccartney
, sting, and madonna who had the band's name written across her back when she performed in
moscow
last week.
>>
i am against censorship and i hope they do not have to serve seven years in jail. that would be a tragedy.
>> reporter:
in the end the sentence was two years not seven. for some even that was too much. the
white house
called it disproportionate and it was greeted with protests in cities around the world but
moscow
may not be listening.
>>
russia doesn't often care what the
western world
thinks. it likes to be an independent center of power.
>> reporter:
the three women plan to appeal but critics argue they weren't the only ones who lost today. they say russian democracy, itself, was on trial. duncan golestani, nbc news, london.
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