17 August 2012 BBC News: Last updated at 10:40 ET: Help Ex-world chess champion Garry Kasparov was among several people arrested outside the court in Moscow, where three members of Pussy Riot punk band were found guilty of hooliganism.
As Mr Kasparov was dragged to a nearby police van he demanded to know why he was being arrested.
Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, Marina Alyokhina, and Yekaterina Samutsevich, stormed the altar of a cathedral in February and sang a “punk prayer” urging the Virgin Mary to rid Russia of President Vladimir Putin.
Not quite an invocation of Our Lady of Fátima: the YouTube is worth watching. (In the US, Ussypay Riot might well have gotten thirty days for disturbing the peace, given the venue, but a two-year sentence is ridiculous on its face.)
When one is defending free speech, one is rarely defending “perfect” free speech. Good for Kasparov, who is a brave and principled man.
“Two years is ridiculous on its face.”
Not in the USSR.
A prisoner in the Gulag complained that he was innocent. When asked what his sentence was he said 7 years. He then was told he couldn’t be innocent because the innocent only got 5 years.
Point conceded, which is why I noted that jail time in the US would not be unthinkable. But context and content do matter, and human rights, and the rights of women, do matter.
Most likely sentence in USA would be to have to listen to political ads 24/7. Oh I forgot, we already do.
Kasparov thought it out 10 moves ahead. His decision. As for the group, an act of conscience.
The name of the “Russian feminist punk-rock band collective that stages politically provocative impromptu performances in Moscow on Russia’s current political life” (copied from chessbase.com) is “Pussy Riot”. The first part of the name of the group is censored by USCF. I find that rather silly in light of the fact that I have seen the word, sometimes used as a substitute for the place between a woman’s legs where all humans enter the world, also called a vagina, all over the internet, radio, and television.
I would like everyone reading this to contemplate what I have just written in light of the comments by Gary Kasparov posted also on chessbase.com: “These young women have committed no crime. Their protest performance, while it understandably offended some at the church that day, constitutes political speech that should be unconditionally protected,” said Garry Kasparov, chairman of HRF. “Having them imprisoned without bail for over five months is unacceptable. Anything but acquittal tomorrow will be a disgrace and another slap in the face of civilized standards of justice. If they are not acquitted it will be more proof that so-called Russian democracy continues to erode under Putin. Without question, Pussy Riot will eventually obtain a favorable verdict at the European Court of Human Rights.”
Narrowly, no. But we’re naturally interested in the lives of great players. And Kasparov is making more socially responsible use of his second career than Fischer or (arguably) Bruce Jenner.
In the videos shown so far, it appears that Kasparov was not that surprised to be arrested. When police approach, he is smiling. As the police carry him away, he is not struggling very much; just asking questions about why is he being arrested, and what are you doing. There is no indication of attempting to break away from the police. There is no visual evidence that he bit anyone, though that was indicated in Russian news reports. If the Russian police and their justice system is consistent, he will be charged with “hooliganism” for protesting across from the courthouse.
The news about Kasparov is just starting to filter into main line news reports. BBC, Yahoo had some coverage. Also the Hollywood Reporter. We will see if it makes the news networks and cable news tonight. The bigger story is the most recent crackdown on dissidents in Russia. Taking down a girl band of punk rockers is likely to have some unintended consequences for Putin. The Orthodox Church hierarchy was on board for punishing the girls and has been supportive of Putin. However, they have backed off and asked for clemency for the girls after pressure by other religious groups. It is goofy little things like this stunt by the girls and the harsh sentence they got that causes forces to coalesce and put pressure on governments. Can we note on this forum that the band is named “P-u-s-s-y Riot”?
It sure would be. I’m not aware of any movement on the part of feminist punk musicians celebrating the systematic massacre of 6 million Orthodox Christians.
For the record, I did NOT write what has been attributed to me in post #241211 by Mr Williams-Lawrence. I cut and pasted the comments of Gary Kasparov I found on chessbace.com.
Contrary to what is written by Mr Magar in post #241216, “Kasparov was not protesting, but simply trying to attend the reading of the verdict…”
That also has been cut and pasted from the Chessbase website.
Mr Brock writes in post 241210, “And Kasparov is making more socially responsible use of his second career than Fischer…”
In Bobby Fischer’s “second career” he decided to educate himself, something he eschewed for the game of chess, and played another match with Boris Spassky. He kept to himself and out of the limelight, for the most part, which is diametrically opposed to Kasparov, who has played quick chess and sought out the limelight wherever it shines. I will admit, though, that social responsibility is in the eye of the beholder. I will also admit that in these old eyes, Bobby Fischer is the greatest person I ever met and it bothers me greatly when I read, or hear, anyone disparaging him, especially when done repeatedly, and he cannot defend himself now that he is dead.
Armchair Warrior
@nocab
As long as you are being punctilious about getting quotes right, I did not say that he actually was protesting. I noted that the police and the Russian judicial system would likely charge Kasparov with “hooliganism” for protesting. The defense, as much as it will be allowed, will demand that the state produce proof that Kasparov was engaged in an illegal protest. It is not clear that he was actually in the process of going in to hear the verdict. Instead he was engaged in a press conference on the street. Whether he initiated it or it was an impromptu affair because of his recognized celebrity is also not clear from the press reports or the video record. That Kasparov was allowed to leave police custody is eye raising. Russian police have a reputation of being rather slow in that regard; they don’t tend to recognize habeas corpus. His past dissidence and previous contretemps with the police are well known. This is only speculation, but I would imagine that higher ups in the political establishment ordered him to be freed. They already have enough martyrs on their hands.
