Russian President Vladimir Putin says he will not intervene in the high-profile Pussy Riot case.
In an interview aired by Russia's RT English-language television channel on September 5, Putin said he was aware of the situation around the feminist punk group, but that he would not get involved in the case at all.
Three members of the group were sentenced to two years in prison last month for their February performance in an Orthodox cathedral in Moscow calling for an end to Putin's rule.
Opposition leaders in Russia called the verdict and sentence "Putin's retaliation."
On September 3, the jailed Pussy Riot members' lawyers rejected an offer for the women to apologize on state television, reiterating their intention to appeal the trial decision in court.
In an interview aired by Russia's RT English-language television channel on September 5, Putin said he was aware of the situation around the feminist punk group, but that he would not get involved in the case at all.
Three members of the group were sentenced to two years in prison last month for their February performance in an Orthodox cathedral in Moscow calling for an end to Putin's rule.
Opposition leaders in Russia called the verdict and sentence "Putin's retaliation."
On September 3, the jailed Pussy Riot members' lawyers rejected an offer for the women to apologize on state television, reiterating their intention to appeal the trial decision in court.
