A new amnesty law was passed in Russia this week, so Pussy Riot members Nadya Tolokonnikova and Maria Alekhina will be freed from prison three months sooner than scheduled. They were in the slammer for “hooliganism motivated by religious hatred or hostility.” They’ve been in for nearly two years. Putin has no qualms.
In a news conference, President Vladimir Putin expressed no regret for the Pussy Riot members. “I was not sorry that they ended up behind bars,” he said. “I was sorry that they were engaged in such disgraceful behavior, which in my view was degrading to the dignity of women.”
Ah, I see – so women doing something that a guy views as “degrading to the dignity of women” deserve to spend two years at hard labor in a particularly harsh prison. Well that certainly gives me a high opinion of men’s views of what is degrading to the dignity of women.
Clearly he meant mere actual women doing something degrading to the dignity of Women, the Platonic ideal (who would, with unassailable dignity, get in the kitchen and get Putin a sammich, dammit!)
I remember joking when this originally hit this news that I couldn’t figure out why anyone was upset? I mean, they were wearing skirts and had their heads covered (standard orthodox dress code). And I like how he says, “they ended up behind bars”, as if he hadn’t put them there.
Forgettin’ who was Putin’em behind bars?