Baltic States – CIS, Latvia, Legislation, Russia

As reported, on August 17, when the court handed down its verdict, Rinkevics wrote in his Twitter account that the court's ruling is unjust.

Today, the minister points out in his statement to the mass media that, even though the actions of "Pussy Riot" members and their chosen protest venue are contradictory, the court's sentence is unjust and unfounded, writes LETA.

Rinkevics urges Russia to review and lift the court's verdict.

The AFP news agency reported that, last Friday, a Moscow court handed a two-year jail sentence to three feminist punk rockers who infuriated the Kremlin and captured world attention by ridiculing President Vladimir Putin in Russia's main church.

The European Union immediately called the decision "disproportionate" while Washington urged Moscow to review the case and thousands rallied across world capitals calling on the Russian strongman to set the Pussy Riot members free.

Judge Marina Syrova said the three young protesters had displayed a "clear disrespect toward society" by staging a "Punk Prayer" performance just weeks ahead of Putin's historic but controversial March election to a third term.