President Vladimir Putin has rejected criticism of the imprisonment of the Pussy Riot punk protest band, saying its three female members threatened the moral foundations of Russia.
He made the comments during a two-hour dinner address at his Stalin-era residence outside Moscow.
Mr Putin's remarks come after two women from the band received two-year prison sentences at a hard labour camp for "hooliganism motivated by religious hatred" after performing an anti-Putin protest song in Moscow's main cathedral. A third band member was released on a suspended sentence.
We moderate all comments on HeraldScotland on either a pre-moderated or post-moderated basis. If you're a relatively new user then your comments will be reviewed before publication and if we know you well then your comments will be subject to moderation only if other users or the moderators believe you've broken the rules, which are available here.
Moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours. Please be patient if your posts are not approved instantly.
