A Russian court has found three members of the the punk band Pussy Riot guilty of “hooliganism motivated by religious hatred,” after the rockers staged a protest performance in Moscow’s Christ the Saviour Cathedral earlier this year.
The case against Maria Alekhina, Ekaterina Samutsevich and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova has garnered international attention with fellow musicians including Madonna, Paul McCartney and the Scissor Sisters showing their support, while human rights groups condemned their detainment .
The February 21 performance included references to Russia’s persecuted LGBT community with the line “Gay pride sent to Siberia in chains.”
Though the trio, who are awaiting sentencing, was initially facing a seven-year sentence, prosecutors are aiming for a three-year prison term. The verdict from the Russian court reads as follows:
“The Pussy Riot singers colluded under unestablished circumstances, for the purpose of offensively violating public peace in a sign of flagrant disrespect for citizens.
“Intending to make the planned actions public and ensure that they drew public response to draw the attention of the public to their illegal actions, and to communicate the expressed disrespect not only to the clergy and people in the church, but also to other citizens who were not present in the church at the time [of the punk prayer], but shared Orthodox traditions, Samutsevich, Tolokonnikova, Alyokhina, and their unidentified accomplice informed various media assistants and active bloggers on their action.”
And to see what all the international hubub is about, here’s the video of their political punk protest:
Anthony
Looks like Madonna’s efforts failed. Maybe she can actually throw some money at the corrupt money judicial system to get these girls out. Doubt she will, however, since we all know she cares more about her money than her own children.
fagburn
Slightly ironic Pussy Riot get sent to prison for “hooliganism” for singing a song, when Moscow police do nothing when neo-nazis beat up people on gay marches…
PS I’m pretty sure Madonna did give money for their defence fund.
Alex
Really valuing my freedom of speech right now. I stand with Pussy Riot.
Marie
I agree with Anthony, then again even if Madonna does give money to them or their defense fund I doubt they’ll even see it or get it!
Neo
@fagburn: Agreed, Hooliganism for stating the truth, putin is a mass murderer and a horrible, hateful man. The same applies to the Orthodox christians who wanted them burned alive.
Shame the great purge didn’t get rid of them completely.
Norris Nordin
@Alex: I am saddened by the two year prison term, but not surprised. I am also saddened that Russia is once again ruled by an ideolog who is both thin skinned and thick headed!
Randall Reynolds
Let’s see…. Russian Government sucks. Putin sucks. Religion sucks.
Can I be awarded the Hooligan Prize now?
Captain proton
If only Assad of Syria learned Putin’s lessons.
He could continue to enjoy full power while keeping his people under the illusion that they live in a “Democracy”. 🙁
freddie
Russia is a corrupt, undemocratic, authoritarian state, with no respect for human rights or freedom of expression. It’s a dictatorship with show elections to boot. And the Russian Orthodox Church, just like under the Tsars, under Stalin and now under Putin, doesn’t give a damn. As long as they get their subsidies from the state and their religious indoctrination camps (“schools”), they’ll keep their mouth shut and laugh all the way to the bank.
Neo
@freddie: I notice they’re now pleading for leniency when it can have no impact whatsoever to save face. The day they were convicted they were on record as wishing that they would be burned alive for their crimes.
They murder families of people who speak out against their child abuse and have hundreds jailed people speaking out against them. Why is because they’re white this isn’t state terror.
If this was islam there’d be uproar, but because it is christian for some reason it is less tyrannous.
Dean
Off to the Gulag!