All eyes on Pussy Riot

The sentence is expected tomorrow but it is noticeable that the prosecution has reduced its demands to three years' imprisonment instead of the original seven. Of course, it is still too much for what they did. We shall see what will happen tomorrow and also what the subsequent events in Russia might show about the mood.

In the meantime, we must remember people who were arrested on May 6 on Bolotnaya for holding a peaceful demonstration and various other people who are under arrest or investigation for conducting political activity that is peaceful though inimical to the authorities.

Here is an interview with the husband of Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, Peter Verzilov, who has finally been able to see his wife for the first time since her arrest. I love the story of their four-year old daughter's plan to rescue her mother.

My daughter tells everyone that Putin has locked her mother in a cage and that we have to find a way to get her out. She draws diagrams showing how we can go about doing this with bulldozers and buses, first by tearing down the prison walls and then by breaking open the cage.

I am a little less impressed by Madonna suddenly jumping on the bandwagon but, I suppose, Mr Verzilov has to say nice things about her.