In Iceland they would get 2 years for simply insulting a religion group (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hate_speech), as well as in many other EU countries (but not in the US).
That's what Pussy Riot have been jailed for - hate speech, not for singing an anti-Putin song. In fact they were screaming profanities in the cathedral, and their anti-Putin song was added later to their YouTube video.
What qualifies as "hate speech"? As far as I understand (I wasn't there), the worst thing they shouted in the cathedral was "holy shit" (literally translated into Russian as "срань господня"). That wasn't any kind of violence rally, and that was mostly political performance, not religious.
"On 4 March 2010, a jury returned a verdict of guilty against Harry Taylor, who was charged under Part 4A of the Public Order Act 1986. Taylor was charged because he left anti-religious cartoons in the prayer-room of Liverpool's John Lennon Airport on three occasions in 2008. The airport chaplain, who was insulted, offended, and alarmed by the cartoons, called the police.[11][12][13] On 23 April 2010, Judge Charles James of Liverpool Crown Court sentenced Taylor to a six-month term of imprisonment suspended for two years, made him subject to a five-year Anti-Social Behaviour Order (ASBO) (which bans him from carrying religiously offensive material in a public place), ordered him to perform 100 hours of unpaid work, and ordered him to pay £250 costs"
Not quite 2 years prison sentence, but a (suspended) jail term nevertheless. But then again, it was not a desecration of a main cathedral either, it was just a cartoon on a wall in an airport prayer room...
Maybe Pussy Riot gives us a case to abolish hate speech laws altogether? So nobody should be threatened with arrest or fine for saying bad things about Muslims, homosexuals, Christians, Jews or whoever, as it is the case now.
Hate speech laws could just be limited to incitement of hatred (what I think was their original intention), i.e. 'Catholics are stupid' vs. 'We should kill all Catholics because they are stupid'.
I'm having a hard time seeing any other interpretation as trying to make offence, a victimless crime, a criminal act.
The text of the song is irrelevant. Pussy Riot have not been tried for political protest. They were sentenced for 'inciting hatred' against the religion. I suppose their presence in the cathedral next to altar, kicking air and shouting obscenities has offended somebody.
If they have chosen another venue for their anti-Putin song, I guess the prosecution would not have any case against them.
Besides, they did not have time to really sing anything in the cathedral. The sound was added to the YouTube video later.
I think all hate speech laws should be abolished, since there is such a thin line between 'inciting hatred' and 'offending sensitivities'.
In Sweden, we have the Hets mot folkgrupp ("agitation against a people") law which forbids disparaging/threatening comments against ethnic/sexual minorities, and allows jail time for up to 2 years.
That's what Pussy Riot have been jailed for - hate speech, not for singing an anti-Putin song. In fact they were screaming profanities in the cathedral, and their anti-Putin song was added later to their YouTube video.