The band's official crime is "hooliganism by religious hatred." But to many inside and outside Russia, the case has come to represent considerably more than that.
The U.S. has been pressing Russia to stop sending arms to Syria for much of the 16-month conflict between the government and opposition forces. Russia has said it will not make any new deals with Syria, but it looks like arms will continue to flow.
Russia's President Putin is in China today to meet with Chinese President Hu Jintao about oil, natural gas, and a potential economic investment partnership.