♪ >> live from berlin, this is the "journal" here on dw. here's what is coming up on the show. >> a moscow court sentences members of the punk band pusy riot to two years in jail. >> dozens of south african miners killed in clashes with police. and for the first time since world war ii, german soldiers can now be used for missions within germany in cases of national emergency.

welcome. governments across europe are taking russia to task for the verdict in the pussy riot. >> three of the women in the pond -- punk band today were sentenced to two years in prison. >> the european union, germany, austria, and britain along with human rights groups are all heavily criticizing the sentencing, saying it is extreme and not compatible with european values or the rule of law. our coverage begins in moscow. >> the defendants and their supporters were not surprised by the verdict and sentencing, which they say was determined by russian president vladimir putin. >> i think the only way to comment on this verdict is to quote the title of the new pussy riot song which has just been released.

the song is called "putin is lighting the fires of revolution." end of comment. >> it took almost three hours to read out the lengthy verdict. she called out the protest in the religious cathedral as sacrilegious. she said they had undermined social order, showed disrespect for society, and deliberately offended orthodox christians. in february, the defendants and other band members stormed moscow's christ the savior cathedral and performed a song asking the virgin mary to drive putin out. the women say they were protesting against putin's ties with the church and had not meant to offend believers. their supporters demonstrated outside the court room, shouting "freedom" and "russia without putin."

>> i do not understand the point of this trial at all. >> an opposition activist and former world chess player, gary kasparov, wa sthere. -- was there. shortly afterward, he was arrested along with several other leading opposition members. the band's supporters say the trial was politically motivated and that the verdict was dictated by the kremlin. >> german chancellor angela merkel said today that politically active citizens are not a threat to russia. that is a direct indictment of what many say is the kremlin pose a growing intolerance of political dissent. i spoke with the german government's human rights commissioner, and i asked him for his read on the guilty verdict. >> i believe this is a completely inadequate sentence. these young women should be released. what they have done is covered by freedom of speech.

it is their right to express what they have expressed, and they should be out of jail by now. >> this verdict is the latest in a series of harsh rulings against critics of the regime. what does it tell us about the judicial system in russia? >> since president putin is back as president, we see two things happening -- a crackdown on opposition activists. we see the police being very tough against anybody that is expressing his wish for democracy and for freedom, and on the other side, we see that laws are being enforced. they are stronger and stricter laws against demonstrations, against activists. we believe that russia is on the wrong track here. >> how do you recommend germany respond? >> i am calling on president putin to release these three young women from prison. two of them have very young children. these young women should be in

freedom. they should be allowed to live with their families. they should be out of prison as soon as possible. i remind president putin and his government of the commitments they have made by signing the european commit -- convention for human rights. they are members of the council of europe as russians, and they should stick to the commitment, which means freedom of speech, democracy, and rule of law. there is not enough freedom of speech. there's not enough democracy, and the judiciary is not independent. >> the german government's human rights commissioner. thank you very much for talking with us today. >> criticism is coming from all sides. the organization for security and cooperation in europe is also coming down hard on the pussy riot the verdict. >> they say it is part of a trend where courts are being used to curb freedom of expression. >> a not all judges in russia are telling the kremlin's line. >> a former judge admits to

being a puppet for the kremlin and is now helping fight for reforms. >> she said she has been horrified by the pussy riot trial. during her time as a judge, she, too, jailed opponents of the kremlin, but she quit four years ago. she said the trial of the anti- putin pump band was a disgrace -- punk band was a disgrace. >> our judges are not independent. the powers that be do not simply call up and tell them what verdict to deliver. it is not quite that simple. judges' subordination runs a lot deeper. it has a lot more to do with pre-emptive obedience. >> the members of pussy riot have now discovered that for themselves. the band and their supporters have been protesting against vladimir putin for years, but this time, the authorities came

down hard on them. as artists around the world spoke out against the treatment of pussy riot, putin intervened. he said he hoped that the court would not judge the defendants to harshly. he added that they now public understood -- probably understood what they did wrong. other opponents of putin have also faced trial. this oil tycoon, for example, was convicted of fraud and tax evasion and has been in jail since 2003. the kremlin broke up his company. critics believe that the trial was putin's way of taking revenge. while medvedev was president, the authorities shortened the sentences of some former executives in the company, but one former employee does not think the oligarch himself will be out of jail andsoon.

some people have had their sentences shorten, but the trials of other staff have just begun. >> the former judge has joined the anti-putin movement. she wants to expose corruption in the judiciary were money or politics determines the outcome of many cases. she says russians have become very skeptical of the courts. >> the current justice system alarms a lot of russians, and there is no sign of liberalization, either. the judiciary is not a separate part. it continues to be an exemption for -- an extension of state power. >> she thinks that will not change while putin is president. she suspect there will be more trials like that of the pussy riot punks.

>> moving on, tighter control of all banks in the eurozone. a german newspaper reporting that the european condition has drawn up plans to have the european central bank monitor all banks in countries that use the euro. it is a surprise to the banking sector. most analysts expected the commission to subject only large banks to more monitoring, but now it appears the rules will also some -- also apply to smaller institutions like savings and loans. >> even though the eurozone debt crisis remains unsolved, german investors are remaining pretty cool. germany's blue-chip stock index, the dax, crossed the key psychological level of 7000 points. >> it managed to finish the trading week on a high note. analysts are confident the rally will continue.

>> traders in frankfurt have not seen numbers like these for a long time. with all the bad economic news coming out of the eurozone lately, you would think german stock prices would be headed down. the dax has climbed more or less steadily since early june. the index hit a low of just under 6000 points, and then climbed about 16% over the next 10 weeks. one big reason for the surge is that investors believe the ecb chief, mario draghi, will back new intervention measures as part of the effort to tackle the eurozone's debt problems. and the ways the ecb -- >> the ways ecb is supporting the euro when the economic environment is getting tougher, that is the most reason the market is going up. >> there's also word that several countries including the united states may be preparing a new interest -- stimulus

measures. and interest rates are so low right now that stocks continue to be an attractive investment. >> after surging right for the 7000-point level, germany's dax finished the week at a new four- month high. we have the summary of the friday trading session in frankfurt. >> the people on the floor here were very pleased with the fact that the dax finally made it over 7000 points. the market barometer have tried again and again to climb over this level and failed, but now, it succeeded. it was also a weekly gain of over 1%. still, the next week -- the next couple of days and weeks could be quite trying. the german constitutional court will decide over the bailout mechanism esm. until then, there will be a lot of insecurity in the market. many say it is likely that the dax will drop again until there

is some security on that issue. also, traders say after having climbed so far so fast, a correction, a cooling down would be more than normal. >> let's take a closer look now at friday's numbers. starting right there in frankfurt where the dax had surged by more than 0.6%, look at that -- finishing at 7040 points. the euro stoxx 50 also having a good session. the dow currently up just a tad, and you're not looking great today, trading at a value of $ 1.2321. south africans are in shock following the nation's bloodiest days since the end of apartheid almost two decades ago. >> at least 34 miners have been killed in fighting between police and striking workers at a mine in the country's northeast. >> police say they only opened fire after they were attacked and shot at by strikers.

the president has ordered an inquiry into the violence. m and the violence broke out when a handful of striking miners tried to force their way through a police cordon -- >> the violence broke out. police said they were defending themselves. the south african president immediately turned -- returned from a conference to make a statement. >> the violence is not what we want to see or what to become accustomed to in a democracy. >> the incident has brought back uncomfortable memories of the past and shocked south africa. the miners work in south africa's northwest province. some are armed with machetes.

they are calling for pay raises and improvements to their working and living conditions. the situation has been made more tense by a rivalry between two mining workers unions. the heads of the newly founded union accused the established union of being too closely connected with the government and with foreign mine owners. at the start of the week, 10 people died in violence between the unions. police moved in, promising to break it up. with an official probe about to begin, south africans hope circumstances surrounding the worst day of violence in the country's post-apartheid history will be established. >> coming up, the latest from syria and a historic change in the role of germany's military on its home soil. >> and a new study on the values of ethnic turks living here in germany. the result -- most surprising. >> stay with us.

we'll be right back.

>> welcome back, everybody. will he be able to make a difference? that is the question for the algerian diplomat who will follow kofi annan to become the u.n.'s special envoy in syria. >> friday, he agreed to take the job, just days before the united nations observer mission in syria is set to end. >> more now on the latest fighting in syria. >> in the syrian cities of damascus and aleppo, fierce fighting continues. according to eyewitnesses, forces loyal to president assad have deployed heavy artillery in aleppo as the fighting intensifies are around the strategically important airport.

this amateur video purports to show government troops and tanks where the army is said to have taken further parts of the city. after visiting a refugee camp in turkey, france's foreign minister called on the international community to cooperate. the regime, he said, must be toppled quickly. meanwhile, the united nations' new special envoy to syria is said to officially take up his post next week. the former algerian prime minister is said did not -- has many years of experience in diplomacy, but u.n. observers will not be providing support for him on the ground. their mission has not been extended and will end at the weekend. >> in a break with a strict policy that has been in place since the end of world war ii, germany's constitutional court has ruled that the country's armed forces can use weapons within german borders under strict circumstances. >> the controversial decision

allows the use of the army in emergencies such as a terrorist attack. combat weapons can only be used as a last resort and with the approval of the government. the judgment explicitly forbids the deployment of soldiers against protesters. >> all right, let's check in with our political correspondent. he has been on the story for us. this is a major shift. what more do we know? >> the court has said that the military can only conduct armed operations within germany in the extreme and exceptional circumstances. the court did not say exactly what it means by that, but it appears what they are thinking of is a major terrorist attacks by air and by sea along the lines of 9/11 -- is a major terrorist attacks -- is major terrorist attacks by air and by sea along the lines of 9/11. the court has also put the

restriction that a decision to deploy troops in this way will have to be taken by the whole government, not just by the defense minister. that means that some critics are saying that this decision making would be too slow to be effective. >> look around the rest of the western world map for us. how does germany compare with other western countries in this regard? >> most western countries have restrictions and limitations on what their military can do within national borders. of course, germany has special sensitivities on this as a result of history, but if we are talking about international comparisons, one thinks of the recent deployment of the british military to protect the olympic games with the stationing of miss stiles in london. something of that kind would not be possible in germany. that remains the case after this ruling. >> thank you very much.

coming up for all you people who live in co-ops, this is your year. we will explain. but first, here are some other stories making news. after crude oil prices reached three-month highs in the united states, the white house announced it is considering tapping into america's strategic oil reserves. agency reports say france and britain may follow suit. oil that $115 a barrel earlier in the week, prompting a rise in prices for heating oil and car fuel. >> japan has deported 14 chinese activists who landed on a disputed islands two days ago. it is one of a group of islands claimed by china, japan, and taiwan appeared with potential natural gas deposits at stake, the territorial disputes may last for years. >> and global financial markets were suit friday by comments

made by the german chancellor in talks with the canadian prime minister in ottawa. merkel has been visiting canada to discuss fiscal stability and an eu-canadian trade agreement. she reaffirmed the eu's commitment to stabilizing the euro. the future of italy's and europe's biggest steel works remains unclear. last month, an italian court shut down the country's biggest steel mill, which is located in the south of italy, saying it has knowingly poisoned the local population with cancer-causing pollution. >> the shutdown has left the livelihood of 12,000 employees in limbo and dealt a severe blow to italy's already struggling economy. it is also a classic conflict of interest. >> the demonstrators who turned out to greet the delegation were a mix of environmental activists and steel workers who want to get back to work.

the instances of cancer in the region have been high for years. a court-ordered study shows that life expectancy is lower here than anywhere else in italy. the likely cause is toxins produced by the steel works. >> it is a big dilemma between employment and help. finding a job is a problem you can solve, but dying is not a problem you can solve. >> it is unclear how the problem can be resolved. italy is in the midst of recession, and the plant produces the majority of the country's steel. the government is suing to have the plant completely reopened, and the unions are supporting that. >> we want the workers to be allowed back into the plant where they can start biting to change things, including the measures that were decided by the judge -- where they can start fighting to change things.

>> equipping the steel plant with better emissions filters could cost more than 300 million euros, and that is a price the steel company may not want to pay. >> in these times of economic uncertainty, many germans are turning to bricks and mortar as a safe haven, and we are not talking about a house or apartment. >> there is also the co-op. the u.n. declared 2012 the international year of the cooperative, saying they are possible -- they are a reminder that it is possible to pursue both social growth and responsibility. >> despite the rain, work continues on this construction site. 43 brand new apartments will be ready by next summer. there will also be a doctor's practice and a day care center. some have just joined the housing cooperative, but others

have been in it for many years. >> we are building a new complex because we have a great many older residents who have been with us for over 50 years. unfortunately, there are no elderly-friendly apartments in our inventory. in addition, there is a huge demand for apartments with elevators. >> berlin housing cooperatives built to match the needs of their members. in contrast to the open real estate market, social concerns take precedence over maximizing profits. cooperative's plan to invest 54 million euros this year in badly needed new housing. it is all financed from the dues paid by their members. >> we are coming out of a time of huge vacancies, when the cooperatives had to fight to find people to take the and the apartments -- the empty apartments. that has changed considerably,

but we are discussing how to deal with this surge in demand. >> at the same time, cooperatives are investing, renovating, or refurbishing existing apartments. members will have to pay more than previous tenants to live in the modernized apartments. unlike in the past, these will be priced at market rates. soaring construction prices are to blame. >> in comparison to what we had to pay in 2006, the prices are noticeably higher. unfortunately, we just have to accept it. >> so will future tenants. despite being cooperative members, the rent they will pay will be on par with other

apartments, and rents have been rising across the city over the past two years. >> there are 2.7 million ethnic turks living right here in germany. >> even though germany now host the largest jewish population outside the turkish and many turkish families have been here for generations, a new study produced surprising results about how turks feel living here -- even though germany now hosts the largest turkish population outside of turkey. >> he moved to germany when he was 10, finished his studies, and worked as an architect. then he went back. >> i was longing for turkey. i missed a stumble, the people, the smells. >> according to a new study, more and more turkish immigrants want to go back, especially in the 30 to 40-year age group.

many believe turkey has better job prospects. >> even among those who have a german passport, only 22% say they consider germany their home. that means that even people who have chosen german citizenship in their hearts spiritually are almost always in turkey. >> the study also shows that turkish migrants in germany are increasingly turning to islam. almost 40% of those surveyed describe themselves as deeply religious. this was especially true for younger respondents. >> all right. you are up to date on the "journal." >> stay with us. captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org--