Pussy Riot Members Jailed for Two Years for Hooliganism

Three members of Russian feminist punk-rock collective Pussy Riot have been found guilty of hooliganism motivated by religious hatred. The verdict was delivered to Maria Alyokhina, 24; Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, 22; and Yekaterina Samutsevich, 29; at Moscow’s Khamovnichesky Court today, August 17. The sentence has been set for two years behind bars after prosecutors filed for a three-year prison term in the event of a guilty verdict.

The three women were detained after they staged a flashmob-style performance where they sang a song called “Holy Shit” at the altar of Moscow’s Christ The Saviour Cathedral on February 21. This event was intended to be a protest against the Orthodox Christian church’s support for president Vladimir Putin. In addition, Russian opposition leader Sergey Udaltsov was detained by police as he approached the police cordon and attempted to enter the court building earlier today.

“This is a trial of the whole government system of Russia, which so likes to show its harshness toward the individual, its indifference to his honour and dignity… If this political system throws itself against three girls… it shows this political system is afraid of truth. Maybe they think it wouldn’t be wrong to try us for speaking against Putin and his system, but they can’t say that because it’s been forbidden. Maybe they think it wouldn’t be wrong to try us for speaking against Putin and his system, but they can’t say that because it’s been forbidden.”

Pussy Riot member Maria Alekhina told the court:

“I am not scared of you. I’m not scared of lies and fiction, or the badly formed deception that is the verdict of this so-called court. Because my words will live, thanks to openness… When thousands of people will read and watch this, this freedom will grow with every caring person who listens to us in this country.”

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