(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) The Obama Administration on Monday said it is "deeply concerned" about the sentences handed down to individuals who took part in demonstrations in Moscow's Bolotnaya Square two years ago. "Two individuals have been sentenced to three and a half years, another to two and a half years, and a fourth received a suspended sentence," said State Department Deputy Spokesperson Marie Harf.
"These verdicts follow those of two other individuals accused of organizing the protests last month," she said, calling on Russia to respect freedom of speech. The Bolotnaya Square demonstrations were organized by groups opposed to current President Vladimir Putin, whom protesters accused of abusing power. "We call on the Russian government to stop punishing the Russian people for exercising their constitutionally guaranteed freedoms of speech and assembly.
"The Russian people deserve a government that values the contributions of all its citizens, that cultivates an open marketplace of ideas, and that respects universal rights and fundamental freedoms," she added.
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