CHANGE OF TUNE

Russian PM May Free Pussy Riot

Says “suspended sentence would be sufficient.”

Pussy Riot may soon be back in bright dresses and baklavas. Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev asked Wednesday that all three members of the female punk band be released from prison, a sign that they could go free before their case is scheduled for appeal on Oct. 1. During a televised meeting with members of his United Russia Party, Medvedev said, “A suspended sentence would be sufficient ... taking into account the time they have already spent in custody.” The punk rockers were arrested in February for essentially thumbing their noses at Russian President Vladimir Putin during a protest inside Moscow’s Cathedral of Christ the Savior. After spending five months in jail, they were convicted in August of “hooliganism driven by religious hatred” and given a two-year prison sentence.