Russia agrees amnesty for Greenpeace 30 and Pussy Riot two

Russia’s parliament has passed an amnesty bill that includes crew members of a Greenpeace ship and jailed members of the Pussy Riot punk band.

The State Duma voted 446-0 in favour of the bill, which mainly concerns first-time offenders, juveniles and women with small children.

The move has been largely viewed as the Kremlin’s attempt to soothe criticism of Russia’s human rights records ahead of the Winter Olympics in Sochi next year.

The amnesty was extended to suspects of hooliganism, which means that prosecutors are now free to drop charges against the 30 people aboard the Greenpeace ship who were held after an oil rig protest in Russia’s Arctic in September.

Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and Maria Alekhina, the jailed members of the Pussy Riot punk band who are serving two years on charges of hooliganism for an impromptu protest at Moscow’s main cathedral, are also eligible for release.