Various news agencies and independent websites have been awash with news of the impending Russian amnesty bill, and its impact on the imprisoned members of punk band Pussy Riot, alongside the high-profile Greenpeace campaigners.
Whether the bill will result in the release of Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and Maria Alekhina remains unclear, however an increasing number of media outlets have begun to speculate over a positive outcome.
The Guardian began by reporting that the bill was unlikely to see the pair released from prison, citing the Russian prime minister, Dmitry Medvedev’s claim that violent crimes and crimes against society “including hooliganism” were likely to be judged more harshly when considering the amnesty.
More recently, the BBC has reported that, “‘Hooliganism’ is one of the categories covered by the new amnesty.”.
The Guardian has also since reported that Izvestia (a state friendly daily newspaper in Russia) has claimed that the amnesty will apply to the Pussy Riot members despite earlier information. Reports by music based activists The Voice Project appears to corroborate the story, reporting that they have spoken to Tolokonnikova’s husband, Pyotr Verzilov, who has unofficially confirmed that the amnesty will see both released from prison.
With an increasing number of reports stating that the amnesty, designed to mark the 20th anniversary of the Russian’s constitution, will apply to the imprisoned Pussy Riots members, things are looking promising for the pair.
Final official confirmation of their fate is scheduled to follow the passing of the bill by the Russian parliament. It would see approximately 2000 prisoners freed, alongside 6000 who would have their charges dropped. The timescale at which all prisoners must be freed once the bill is passed remains equally unclear.