UPDATE: Should Canada intervene in the Pussy Riot case?

Nadezhda Tolokonnikova's Canadian permanent resident card was displayed on Russian state television.

UPDATE: The Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade released a statement on the Pussy Riot verdict: "Canada believes strongly in the rule of law, administered independently and without political bias or motivation. The promotion of Canadian values including freedom, democracy, human rights, and the rule of law, features prominently in our ongoing dialogue with the Russian authorities."

Original post:

The Russian punk group Pussy Riot has been convicted of hooliganism motivated by religious hatred for a performance in a Moscow cathedral that was critical of President Vladimir Putin.

An interview on Russian television revealed that Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, 22, the best known face of the masked all-girl group, holds a Canadian permanent resident card and an Ontario health card.

The residency card appears around the 1:00 mark of this YouTube video.



Brent Brambury, host of CBC Radio's Day 6, spoke to Tolokonnikova's husband, Peter Verzilov, a dual citizen of Canada and Russia, about how her connection to Canada is being used against her by Russian authorities.

The Department of Foreign Affairs only required to provide consular services for its citizens, not permanent residents.

But NDP MP and foreign affairs critic Paul Dewar encouraged the government to work quietly to intervene in the case on humanitarian grounds.

"I'm not sure if a minister from Canada speaks out aggressively, it's going to help things, but I think we absolutely should be speaking out. It's a matter of how we do it, not if we do it," Dewar said Thursday.

Should the Department of Foreign Affairs intervene in the Pussy Riot case? Let us know what you think.





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