Russia's State Duma Tuesday voted by a large majority for legislation that would sentence people convicted of blasphemy to up to three years in prison, dpa reported. The passage by the lower house of parliament in the crucial second of three readings of the bill came in response to the protest last year by the Kremlin-critical punk band Pussy Riot, which performed a song criticizing the government and Orthodox Church in the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow. In arguing for the bill, Mikhail Markelov of the ruling UnitedRussia party, told the Itar-Tass news agency that attacks on Orthodox believers, churches and cemeteries have increased since the Pussy Riot controversy. But Russian human rights ombudsman Vladimir Lukin was critical, saying laws should not be tailored to suit a single social group. Kremlin opponents have also criticized the legislation as a further step by the government to put pressure on civil society. -- SPA 23:16 LOCAL TIME 20:16 GMT تغريد
