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President Vladimir Putin has eased restrictions on demonstrations in the Black Sea Winter Olympics venue of Sochi, his latest bid to burnish Russia's image ahead of the Games. Putin amended his security decree on Friday to let groups hold marches and gatherings in areas and along routes approved the security services. "Gatherings, rallies, demonstrations, marches and pickets, which are not directly connected to the Olympic and Paralympic games, could be staged on January7 - March 21 2014... only after agreeing with... a local security body," the Kremlin said on Saturday. But there have also been signs he is trying to disarm Russia's critics ahead of the Olympics, last month freeing several of the country's best known prisoners: former oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky and two members of the female punk group Pussy Riot.More...