TODAY: Pussy Riot trial to begin July 30 as Western musicians draw attention to the case; Emergency Ministries journalists say critical coverage lost them their jobs; observers call fraud at Kasimov elections; Putin vows to keep euros stockpile, discusses South Stream with Italian PM.

The trial of punk protest group Pussy Riot will begin on July 30, with the court promising to broadcast it on the internet to ensure transparency (a decision branded ‘suspicious’ by the defence).  Western bands Red Hot Chili Peppers and Faith No More have all voiced support for the group’s incarcerated members, with hopes that Madonna will draw attention to their plight at upcoming concerts in Moscow and St Petersburg.  Performing at a music festival outside Moscow, Franz Ferdinand dedicated a song to Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, Yekaterina Samutsevich, and Maria Alekhina.  Last night, St Petersburg painter sewed his own mouth closed and stood outside the Kazan Cathedral where the group originally performed in protest of their detention.  The mother of lawyer Sergei Magnitsky has applied to a Moscow court to release the names of prosecutors who oversaw the investigation into her son’s death.