As Olympic athletes and world media bask in the sentiment and goodwill of the Sochi closing ceremony, they should be aware that their host will within a few days sentence eight young Russians to prison terms for exercising their constitutional rights to free assembly for acts that would merit a mild reprimand on any school playground throughout the world.
A Moscow court declared eight young defendants guilty of “application of force against representatives of authority” last Friday. The Moscow court conveniently delayed their sentencing until after the Sunday closing ceremony. The eight – in their late teens or early 20s — were convicted of attacking heavily-armed, padded, and brawny special security forces at a May 6, 2012 demonstration on the eve of Putin’s inauguration to his third term as president of Russia.
go to forbes.com
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