The pussy riot 'trial' (if you can call it that) is a sign o' the times for contemporary Russia. A dictatorship thinly veiled as a democracy, basically. Still, Putin knows how to do good PR...while he 'had' to convict these women to show he was strong and decisive and whatnot, he will of course come out and grant them amnesty in a little while. With the entire world press looking on and seeing how much of a compassionate and forgiving leader he is.
As for Femen, can't argue with the results they are getting. I'm not sure just how effective their countless topless protests are for their cause, but it sure as hell got them into every media spotlight imaginable!