THE husband of one of the jailed members of the Russian feminist punk bank Pussy Riot has condemned First Minister Alex Salmond for saying he admired "certain aspects" of Vladimir Putin's leadership.
Pyotr Verzilov, whose wife Nadezhda Tolokonnikova was jailed for more than a year for taking part in a protest against the Kremlin, likened the First Minister's admiration for Putin to a "teenager" who had become a fan of a "movie superhero".
Salmond has been attacked for an interview conducted by ex-Labour spin doctor Alastair Campbell and published in GQ magazine.
The First Minister criticised a "range of Russian actions", but when asked whether he admired Putin, he said: "Certain aspects. He's restored a substantial part of Russian pride and that must be a good thing."
Amnesty International criticised the comments and argued that Salmond should "reserve his admiration for those worthy of it".
Aside from Russia's recent intervention in the Crimea - which began before the Salmond interview was published - Putin has long been criticised for his regime's stance on human rights and basic political freedoms.
In 2012, three members of Moscow-based Pussy Riot - Tolokonnikova, plus Maria Alyokhina and Yekaterina Samutsevich - were convicted of "hooliganism motivated by religious hatred" after staging a performance in the city's Cathedral of Christ the Savior.
They were sentenced to two years' imprisonment each, a move which triggered an international outcry.
Verzilov, a Russian-Canadian artist, was Pussy Riot's representative during the row. He also accepted the Lennon-Ono Grant for Peace - awarded jointly to the band and four other people - from Yoko Ono on behalf of the group.
Asked about Salmond's comments, Verzilov told the Sunday Herald: "We understand that politicians in the West, who do not see the daily human rights violations, the arrests, the persecution of journalists, activists and political figures, the shut-downs of the country's biggest media outlets, might indeed admire some aspects of President Putin's character, like teenagers who become fans of a movie superhero, who they believe to be more powerful than they are.
"However, I do not think that Mr Salmond would enjoy medicinal paint smeared to his face by hired thugs of his country's leadership or criminal cases opened up against politicians in Scotland for absurd reasons."
A spokesperson for campaign group ILGA-Europe said: "ILGA-Europe is concerned with some European politicians praising President Putin.
"As an organisation working for human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and intersex (LGBTI) people across Europe, we are seriously worried with the Putin regime's severe crackdown on democratic rules, civil society and the LGBTI community in Russia."
Salmond last week tried to clarify his remarks, saying: "I did express my admiration for certain aspects, by which I had in mind the restoration of Russian pride, because I was speaking in the aftermath of the Sochi Olympics - indeed, I was speaking during the Paralympics."
Tolokonnikova and Alyokhina were beaten and attacked with whips by security officers during a protest at the Sochi event, and were temporarily detained.
The Scottish Government recently withdrew the Russian consul general's invitation to the annual Scottish Consular Corps dinner over Russia's actions towards Ukraine.
Patricia Ferguson, Scottish Labour's external affairs spokeswoman, said: "These women have become symbols of the fight against repression in Russia … The fact that Scotland's First Minister has found himself on the wrong side of this movement is a source of embarrassment for him and for Scotland."
Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie said: "Alex Salmond must apologise and make clear that his praise was a mistake and does not represent the views of the people of Scotland."
A spokesperson for the First Minister said: "The First Minister has made clear that he disapproves of a range of Russian actions, and that he and his government are entirely opposed to the Russian government's stance on human rights, homosexuality and the illegal annexation of Crimea.
"In the interview itself the First Minister specifically highlighted concerns about Russian constitutionality and the inter-mesh with business and politics.
"The Scottish Government has a firm and enduring belief that there is no place for prejudice or discrimination - in Scotland or any other part of the world - and we strongly condemn human rights abuses wherever they take place."
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