Pussy Riot

Anonymous · Jul 25, 2012

http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/newsdesk/2012/07/putins-religious-war-against-pussy-riot.html

Pussy Riot on trial in Russia

Anonymous · Jul 25, 2012

https://whyweprotest.net/community/threads/pussy-riot-vs-poutine.103771/#post-2152186
Translation plox

Jeff Jacobsen · Jul 25, 2012

Not much has changed in Russia. The gubmint and religion are in cahoots. Free speech is stifled. But so long as somewhere out there is a Pussy Riot, there is hope.

Paroxetine Samurai · Jul 25, 2012

Jeff Jacobsen said: ↑

Not much has changed in Russia. The gubmint and religion are in cahoots. Free speech is stifled. But so long as somewhere out there is a Pussy Riot, there is hope.

I don't know about the rest of you, but I find the girls in this band totally doable.

As to the Russia Government and the church there being all shades of butthurt over their song: Not only is it expected, it is about par for the course. Can't say much more than that.

iraniam · Jul 25, 2012

What A Bio Putin Is Creating For Pussy Riot

Members of female punk band "Pussy Riot," Nadezhda Tolokonnikova (center), Maria Alekhina (right), and Yekaterina Samutsevich, sit behind bars before a court hearing in Moscow on July 20

Six months or so ago, few people in Russia -- and even fewer abroad -- had even heard of Pussy Riot. Now they're not only an international cause celebre, but well on their way to becoming a global brand.

And all it took was a little Kremlin-sponsored repression.

Sting is the latest artist to publicly express support for three members of the band -- Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, Maria Alekhina, and Yekaterina Samutsevich -- who are languishing in pretrial detention and face stiff prison terms for their infamous unauthorized performance in Moscow's Cathedral of Christ the Savior.
It’s appalling that the musicians from Pussy Riot could face prison sentences of up to seven years in jail. Dissent is a legitimate and essential right in any democracy and modern politicians must accept this fact with tolerance. A sense of proportion – and a sense of humor – is a sign of strength, not a sign of weakness. Surely the Russian authorities will completely drop these spurious charges and allow the women, these artists, to get back to their lives and to their children.

Sting's comments, made prior to his July 25 concert at Moscow's Olympic Stadium, follow onstage gestures in support of the imprisoned punk rockers by Faith No More, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Franz Ferdinand during shows in the Russian capital.

And "The Moscow Times" reports that Red Hot Chili Peppers lead singer Anthony Kiedis is trying to enlist Madonna and Bono into the ranks of artists supporting the women, who have already been declared prisoners of conscience by Amnesty International.

Back in 1964, when a Soviet court in Leningrad sentenced the writer and future Nobel laureate Joseph Brodsky to five years of hard labor for "social parasitism," the poet Anna Akhmatova was among the first to see the upside.

“What a biography they've created for our little redhead," Akhmatova said. "You’d think he'd hired them.”

And while comparing Pussy Riot to Brodsky, one of world's great writers, is more than a stretch, it is fair to say that the Kremlin has indeed created a quite a biography for these women.

Once an obscure performance art act, they are now global stars with the dignity that comes with being oppressed.

Their trademark bright pastel ski masks have become a fashion statement as well as a political statement. A popular website (in English, French, German, Spanish, and Russian), a Twitter feed, and a Facebook page chronicles every development in their case.

On any given day -- from Miami to Prague to Helsinki -- you can find events like house parties, concerts, and social media events in their support.

And then there are the charges against them, the crime they are accused of committing, and the reasons for their controversial action at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior.

The group's performance in the cathedral on February 21 -- shortly before Vladimir Putin's reelection as president -- was an attempt to draw attention to the close ties between the Kremlin leader and the Russian Orthodox Church and to protest what they consider Russian Patriarch Kirill's inappropriate support for Putin in the election.

Contrary to most reports, the women apparently didn't actually play a concert in the church. According to a video released by their lawyers, they stood in front of the altar and mimed their performance there and later spliced in the music and lyrics of their anti-Putin "punk prayer" -- "Mother of God, Banish Putin" -- to produce the now-famous final clip.

In the days after the clip was posted on YouTube it was only watched by several hundred people. After they were detained and charged following an outcry by Orthodox officials, it shot up to over a million (and counting). It went viral, in other words, thanks largely to the authorities.

Tolokonnikova, Alekhina, and Samutsevich have been formally charged with hooliganism. But the indictment also levies a series of other allegations against them including "debasing the feelings and beliefs" of Orthodox Christians, "diminishing the spiritual foundations of the state," and "blasphemy."

The language of the indictment, which reflected statements by Orthodox officials -- including Patriarch Kirill -- before the three were charged, starkly illustrated the issue the women were protesting to begin with.

The issue of the church's undue influence over the Putin regime is now front and center in Russian politics.

What a biography indeed.

-- Brian Whitmore
http://www.rferl.org/content/what-a-biography-the-kremlin-is-creating-for-pussy-riot/24656603.html

Jeff Jacobsen · Jul 29, 2012

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/jul/29/pussy-riot-protest-vladimir-putin-russia

Amazing what a little protesting can do, eh.

iraniam · Jul 30, 2012

Pussy Riot: The Punk Band That Isn't And The Concert That Wasn't

Members of Pussy Riot during a court hearing in Moscow on July 30: Nadezhda Tolokonnikova (left), Yekaterina Samutsevich (center), and Maria Alyokhina. They face up to seven years in prison.

Three members of the feminist punk band Pussy Riot have gone on trial in Moscow for an unauthorized concert they played in Moscow's Christ the Savior Cathedral in February.

Well, sort of -- except for a couple of small details.

Pussy Riot isn't really a "punk band" (although they are feminists). And -- contrary to popular belief -- they didn't actually play a "concert" in the cathedral.

The Pussy Riot saga, which has been going on ever since their famous "Punk Prayer" video appeared on YouTube five months ago, illustrates the extent to which the Internet has altered perceptions of what we believe to be reality.

So what actually happened?

On February 21, some members of Pussy Riot entered Christ the Savior Cathedral. In order not to attract attention to themselves, at least initially, they wore modest clothing over their trademark short pastel dresses and tights.

Once inside the cathedral they went in the area in front of the altar, covered their faces with their now-famous colored balaclavas, and threw off their outer clothing.

Then they essentially mimed their performance -- dancing, jumping around, and playing air guitar while their collaborators videotaped them. One of the women mock-played an actual guitar -- which was not plugged into an amplifier -- while another briefly managed to turn on a music player until the women were finally evicted.

The whole process took a couple of minutes.

WATCH: The original video

They later produced and posted their video, with an added soundtrack of their "Punk Prayer" -- with its refrain "Mother of God, cast Putin out" -- that had been recorded elsewhere.

WATCH: The final video with soundtrack

Pussy Riot is more a performance art collective than a punk rock band in the classical sense. They emerged out of the underground anarchist art collective Voina -- itself notorious for its outrageous public stunts, most notably painting a giant phallus on a drawbridge in St. Petersburg facing the local FSB headquarters.

The idea for Pussy Riot emerged in the spring of 2011, according to media reports, when female members of Voina began studying the work of the U.S. "riot grrrl" feminist punk movement.

In the autumn of 2011, the group began staging public actions and posting them on YouTube. And just like Voina, "membership'" in the Pussy Riot collective is anonymous and rotating. In interviews, they gives names like "Squirrel" and "Sparrow."

"Membership in Pussy Riot is completely interchangeable," Petr Verzilov, a leading member of Voina and husband of jailed Pussy Riot member Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, told RFE/RL's Russian Service in a recent interview. "This anonymous status is part of the group's ideological core. A few dozen girls have participated in their five performances."

Prior to the "Punk Prayer" video in Christ the Savior Cathedral, the group's most famous action was a video of a "concert" on Red Square in January -- at the peak of the anti-Kremlin protests following December's disputed State Duma elections -- which showed them performing the song "Putin Wet His Pants."

The chorus of the song is: "Rebellion in Russia, the charisma of protest! Rebellion in Russia, Putin wet his pants! Rebellion in Russia! We exist! Rebellion in Russia! Riot! Riot!"

That incident was also widely reported to be a "concert." But a careful look at the video shows that there is no drum set (although there is a drum track in the song), no microphones, and no amplifiers -- suggesting the group followed a similar procedure as in their "Punk Prayer" clip. Two members of the group were fined 500 rubles ($15) each for the incident.

WATCH: The Red Square video

The "hooliganism" indictment of the three women on trial -- Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, Maria Alyokhina, and Yekaterina Samutsevich -- draws not only on what they did in the cathedral in February but also on what was in the video, as well as materials later seized from their computers.

It accuses them, for example, of intruding on a part of the cathedral reserved for priests, wearing clothing there "manifestly contradicting common church rules," and "revealing various parts of their bodies" in an effort to "openly express disrespect to the Christian world and the church canons."

Another part of the indictment draws on seized audio files on Verzilov's computer contained in a folder titled "sran gospodnya" -- or "holy shit" -- a phrase that is part of the punk prayer and is also audible in the original video.

"For anyone who really respects religion, it is inadmissible to use the phrase 'holy shit,'" the indictment read.

* The last two paragraphs of this story have been changed to clarify that the phrase in question is audible in the original video.
http://www.rferl.org/content/pussy-riot-what-really-happened-russia-trial/24660925.html

Anonymous · Jul 31, 2012

iraniam · Aug 7, 2012

Pussy Riot Lawyers Ask For Acquittal

Members of Pussy Riot at the trial in Moscow on August 7

The lawyers of three members of the Pussy Riot female punk group have asked a Moscow court to acquit their clients after the prosecution had called for a three-year jail sentence.

The lawyers argued that their clients' actions cannot be classified as a crime.

"The court cannot try our defendants based exclusively on a theocratic interpretation of the law," lawyer Mark Feigin said. "The secular nature of the state dictates that even inside a church there are no blasphemous actions, but only administrative or criminal offenses."

The defendant's other lawyer Violetta Volkova said the trial was politically motivated.

"This is not a criminal case. These women have been recognized political prisoners by international organizations: Amnesty International, Memorial, and others," Volkova said. "These women are here now not because they danced in a church, or because they wore the wrong clothes in the wrong place, or because they prayed in the wrong way or didn't cross themselves properly. They are here because of their political views."

Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, Maria Alyokhina, and Yekaterina Samutsevich were charged with hooliganism and insulting feelings of Orthodox Christians after staging a performance at Moscow's Christ the Savior Cathedral in March against President Vladimir Putin’s rule.

They have been in detention since March. The court began hearing arguments of the defendants and the prosecutor on August 7. Meanwhile, the lawyers for the Christ the Savior Cathedral's employees, who are registered as victims in the case, asked the court to give the defendants suspended sentences.

Madonna Support

Also on August 7, the U.S. pop music star Madonna urged Russia not to jail the three young ladies. Madonna told The Associated Press during her concert tour of Russia that she is "against censorship" and hopes "the judge is lenient with them and that they are freed soon."

Madonna was the latest of several international music stars to appeal for leniency. Last week, a group of British musicians including Pete Townshend and the pop group Pet Shop Boys have urged Russian President Vladimir Putin, who was on a visit to London, to give a fair trial to the Pussy Riot members.

In a letter published in the London "Times" newspaper last week, 12 musicians called the charges against the three female band members "preposterous." Other signatories were Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker, Franz Ferdinand's Alex Kapranos, Johnny Marr of The Smiths, and folk singer Corinne Bailey Rae.

Putin, in his turn, said while in London that the three women should not be punished "too strictly." Putin told reporters in London he hopes "the court issues a correct decision."
http://www.rferl.org/content/madonna-calls-for-leniency-in-pussy-riot-case/24668927.html

Anonymous · Aug 7, 2012

"By day six of the trial, the defense has petitioned seven times that the judge be recused."

Read more http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/newsdesk/2012/08/the-absurd-and-outrageous-trial-of-pussy-riot.html#ixzz22uIKKWwQ"

LastOneStanding · Aug 8, 2012

Paroxetine Samurai · Aug 8, 2012

I can't help but get a little randy whenever I hear the name of this band.

Tourniquet · Aug 8, 2012

It makes me recall certain scenes from Ken Russell's The Devils as well

iraniam · Aug 8, 2012

Pussy Riot Trial: 'No One Will Take My Inner Freedom,' Feminist Band Member Says

By Maria Tsvetkova

MOSCOW, Aug 8 (Reuters) - Members of the Pussy Riot punk band likened themselves to Soviet-era dissidents on Wednesday, saying their trial for performing an anti-Kremlin stunt on a cathedral altar was unjust, but that nobody could take away their inner freedom.

To occasional bursts of applause from supporters, the three women were making their last pleas before a court rules whether they are guilty of hooliganism motivated by religious hatred for storming the altar of Moscow's biggest cathedral and beseeching the Virgin Mary to rid Russia of President Vladimir Putin.

The state prosecutor has asked the court to sentence them to three years in jail in a case that is being seen as an early test of how much dissent Putin - who returned to the presidency in May for a third time - is willing to tolerate.

"I am not afraid of your poorly concealed fraud of a verdict in this so-called court because it can deprive me of my freedom," Maria Alyokhina, one of the three, said. "No one will take my inner freedom away."

The women - Alyokhina, 24, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, 22, and Yekaterina Samutsevich, 29 - looked pale and tired as they addressed the Moscow court from a glass and metal cage before the judge adjourned the trial until Aug. 17, when the verdict will be issued.

Tolokonnikova welcomed the latest display of support from abroad after American singer Madonna donned the band's trademark balaclava and stripped to a black bra to show their name on her back during a concert in Moscow on Tuesday night.

"Katya (Samutsevich), Masha (Alyokhina) and I are sitting in jail but I do not believe we have been defeated, just like the dissidents were not defeated. Lost in psychological hospitals and prisons, they served out their sentences."

Friends and family applauded her in the courtroom.

"With every day, more and more people believe us, and believe in us, and think we should not be behind bars," Tolokonnikova said, leaning forward to address the court through a tiny window in the glass and metal cage.

"I want to cry when I see how the methods of the medieval inquisition preside over Russian law enforcement and the judicial system," she said in a speech peppered with literary references, including to Alexander Solzhenitsyn, whose writing documented life in the Gulag Soviet prison system.

Quoting lyrics from Pussy Riot performances, at one point the courtroom burst into applause, prompting the judge to call for calm.

"We are not in a theatre," the judge said.

PROTESTS AGAINST PUTIN

Pussy Riot, an all-women collective, formed last October in protest against Putin's domination of Russia and his plan, now fulfilled, to return to the Kremlin in a March election.

The band members see themselves as part of a protest movement that last winter organised the biggest demonstrations since former KGB spy Putin first rose to power in 2000, at times attracting crowds in Moscow of 100,000.

In their protest on Feb. 21, Pussy Riot wore colourful balaclavas, short dresses and bright tights as they burst into the Christ the Saviour Cathedral in central Moscow and belted out a "punk prayer" to the Virgin Mary to "Throw Putin out!"

They say they did not mean to offend Orthodox Christian believers, but aimed to highlight the close relationship between Putin and the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, who called the Russian leader's 12-year rule "a miracle of God".

The Kremlin is in a tight spot. In a country where few believe in the independence of the judiciary, it might be applauded by its critics if the sentences are relatively lenient.

But if the sentences are seen as too lenient, church leaders - who along with believers upset by the performance have been demanding tough sentences - may be angry.

The case is seen by the opposition as part of a wider crackdown on dissent by Putin following the protests that preceded his return to the Kremlin.

Since his return - after serving as prime minister for four years - Russia has toughened rules governing the Internet, increased fines for protesters and introduced new controls for foreign-funded lobby and campaign groups.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/08/pussy-riot-trial_n_1755656.html

Anonymous · Aug 8, 2012

iraniam said: ↑

Pussy Riot Lawyers Ask For Acquittal

*snip*
Madonna Support
*snip*

It's official. They're fucked.

If Madonna's support doesn't fuck them over, her USI will...

Jacky Blue Note · Aug 8, 2012

Mostly very recent photos:

http://cryptome.org/2012-info/pussy-riot/pussy-riot.htm

Anonymous · Aug 8, 2012

Herro · Aug 8, 2012

I'd support them if they were hot.

ChronicEnturbulator · Aug 8, 2012

I could use s good pussy riot right about now...

iraniam · Aug 9, 2012

Dmitry Rogozin, Russia Deputy Prime Minister, Calls Madonna Moralizing 'Slut' After Support For Pussy Riot (TWEETS)

A senior Russian official slammed Madonna on Wednesday for the megastar's support for the jailed members of the punk band Pussy Riot.
In a tweet sent out on Wednesday, Russian deputy prime minister and former ambassador to Nato Dmitry Rogozin, labeled Madonna a moralizing "slut," the Guardian reports.

Dmitry Rogozin@Rogozin
Каждая бывшая б. с возрастом стремится читать всем лекции о морали. Особенно во время зарубежных турне и гастролей
8 Aug 12

"With age, every former s. tries to lecture everyone on morality. Especially during overseas tours," Rogozin wrote, according to a HuffPost translation, using the first letter of the Russian word for "slut" or "whore."
On Tuesday, Madonna expressed admiration for Pussy Riot during a sold-out Moscow concert.

“As an artist, as a human being, as a woman, I have freedom to express my point of view, even if other people don’t agree with me. Even if my government doesn’t agree with me,” Madonna said during the show, according to the New York Times.

She then went on to speak about Pussy Riot directly.
“I know there are many sides to every story, and I mean no disrespect to the church or the government. But I think that [the girls of Pussy Riot] have done something courageous. I think they have paid the price for this act. And I pray for their freedom,” she said.

The pop star later appeared on stage in a black bra with "Pussy Riot" written in bold letters on her back. She also covered her head with a balaclava, the band's signature headgear.

The feminist punk band Pussy Riot is facing a three-year prison sentence on charges of hooliganism motivated by religious hatred after they appeared in Moscow's main cathedral, singing "Virgin Mary, drive Putin away!" just two weeks before Vladimir Putin won Russia's presidency for the third time.
The case has caused international outrage -- particularly among human rights groups -- and Russians have appeared divided on the matter.

Since Rogozin's tweet about Madonna, a few Russian Twitter users have come out to challenge the Russian official.
"Better to be a former slut, than a former patriot," replied @bezdomny2012, according to a HuffPost translation. Like Rogozin, @bezdomny2012 only used the first letter to signify the derogatory word.

Madonna is not the only star who supports Pussy Riot. Artist Yoko Ono and electro-pop singer Peaches also have expressed their sympathy.

Madonna is expected to perform in St Petersburg on Thursday and has pledged to speak out against a new city law banning "homosexual propaganda." U.S. embassy officials have urged Madonna fans at the concert to be vigilant as there have been threats of physical violence, the New York Post reports.

Note: While this Twitter account appears to be the official account of Dmitry Rogozin, the Russian deputy prime minister has yet to issue any official statements confirming the tweets referred to in this article.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/09/dmitry-rogozin-madonna-slut_n_1760391.html

iraniam · Aug 10, 2012

Putin Mocked Over Feminist Punk Band Trial (PHOTOS)

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/10/pussy-riot-trial-putin-art_n_1762034.html#slide=1357443

Herro · Aug 11, 2012

ChronicEnturbulator said: ↑

I could use s good pussy riot right about now...

I REMEMBER YOU!!!!!!

Anonymous · Aug 12, 2012

CC for subtitles

or read it here

https://chtodelat.wordpress.com/2012/08/08/yekaterina-samutsevich-closing-statement/

iraniam · Aug 15, 2012

Pussy Riot Rallies: Supporters Of Punk Band Mobilize Before Russian Court Ruling

MOSCOW — The global campaign to free Pussy Riot is gaining speed:

Supporters of the punk provocateur band are mobilizing this week in at least two dozen cities worldwide to hold simultaneous demonstrations an hour before a Russian court rules on whether its members will be sent to prison.

Friday's rallies will ride a wave of support for the three women who have been in jail for more than five months because of an anti-Putin prank in Moscow's main cathedral. Calls for them to be freed have come from a long list of celebrities such as Madonna and Bjork.

Protests have been held in a number of Western capitals, including Berlin, where last week about 400 people joined Canadian electro-pop performance artist Peaches to support the band.

In one of the most extravagant displays, Reykjavik Mayor Jon Gnarr rode through the streets of the Icelandic capital in a Gay Pride parade this weekend dressed like a band member – wearing a bright pink dress and matching balaclava – while lip-synching to one of Pussy Riot's songs.

Although the band members and their lawyers are convinced that the verdict depends entirely on the will of President Vladimir Putin, and prosecutors have asked for a three-year sentence, activists hope their pressure will ease punishment or even free the women.

Putin has said the women should not be judged too harshly, but he risks appearing weak if they walk free.

Amnesty International has declared the women prisoners of conscience and collected tens of thousands of petitions to be sent to the Russian government. So far, though, the human rights group said it has been blocked from delivering them.

Two boxes containing 70,000 petitions were taken to the Russian Embassy in Washington on Tuesday, but a Russian diplomat carried them outside and dumped them on the sidewalk, Amnesty International spokeswoman Sharon Singh said.

"He did not want them anywhere on Russian soil," she said by telephone on Wednesday. Repeated calls to the embassy went unanswered.

Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, Maria Alekhina and Yekaterina Samutsevich were little known before their brief impromptu performance in Christ the Savior Cathedral in February. Dancing and high-kicking, they shouted the words of a "punk prayer" asking the Virgin Mary to deliver Russia from Putin, who was set to win a third term in a March presidential election.

They were arrested on charges of hooliganism motivated by religious hatred, which carries a maximum sentence of seven years. Since then, they have been vilified by the state media, while winning over hearts at home and abroad.

About 20 supporters wearing colorful balaclavas held a brief protest on the steps of the cathedral on Wednesday, each holding up a letter to spell out "Blessed are the merciful" in Russian.

"This action was done in support of the girls," said Anna Tashina, 18, who was one of at least two protesters detained by police. "We wanted them to know that we are with them, that they haven't been forgotten."

Madonna also donned a balaclava during a concert in Moscow last week and had "Pussy Riot" written on her bare back. Yoko Ono sent a personal message to Samutsevich, saying that "the power of your every word is now growing in us."

A group of leading British musicians, including Pete Townshend of the Who and members of the Pet Shop Boys, published a letter in the Times of London ahead of Putin's visit during the Olympics to urge him to give the Pussy Riot members a fair hearing.

On Friday, activists in more than a dozen cities are expected to take to the streets beginning at 2 p.m. Moscow time (1000 GMT), an hour before the judge is to issue the verdict. The protests are being coordinated by the defense lawyers.

Venues vary from the square outside the ornate Sagrada Familia Cathedral in Barcelona to the yard outside the Russian Embassy in London.

In Paris, the protest will be held on Stravinsky Square and led by 29-year-old Alexey Prokopyev from Russie-Libertys, a Paris-based organization formed in December to bring together Russians studying or working in France.

"Most people go to these rallies in Paris because we cannot be in Russia at the moment for various reasons – because of jobs, classes," said Prokopyev, who was born in the Soviet Union and has spent most of the past 17 years in France. "We all wish we were in Moscow now, but since we can't we do it in Paris."

Russie-Libertys also is helping to organize rallies in Marseille, Nice, Lyons and Montpellier.

Wearing balaclavas, activists protested earlier this month on the iconic Alexander III bridge, named after the Russian czar who was France's ally in the 1890s.

Prokopyev said that he and his peers "want Russia to be a normal country" and be able to elect a president "who doesn't make the country where we were born a laughingstock."

In New York, Friday's protest will take place outside the Russian Consulate and later on Times Square.

"It's absurd that this case is being treated as criminal, while in any other civilized country that would be merely an administrative offense," said Xenia Grubstein, a 31-year-old journalist helping to organize the New York protest.

She said the hope was that the louder people speak out against the Pussy Riot case, the greater the chance that the verdict will be fair.

A protest is also planned in Washington, where last month punk rockers and arts activists rallied outside the Russian Embassy.

The U.S. State Department has expressed concern about what it called the "politically motivated prosecution of the Russian opposition and pressure on those who express dissenting views."

In France, Culture Minister Aurelie Filippetti last week issued a statement expressing concern that artistic freedom was on trial.

A German cross-party group of lawmakers sent a letter to the Russian ambassador calling the five months the band members have spent in custody and the possible prison terms "draconian and disproportionate" punishment.

"In a secular and pluralistic state, peaceful artistic activities – even if they may be seen as a provocation – should not lead to accusations of a serious crime and long prison sentences," the lawmakers said in the letter, which more than 100 members of parliament signed.

The international press has been full of critical reports from the trial. One of Germany's most influential magazines, Der Spiegel, featured the band on its cover with a picture of Tolokonnikova behind bars and the headline "Putin's Russia."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/15/pussy-riot-rallies-supporters-mobilize_n_1778220.html

iraniam · Aug 15, 2012

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/

Anonymous · Aug 16, 2012

What's the betting that Pussy Riot became feminist/activist band when they realised they were only playing events where they knew each member of the audience personally.

Herro · Aug 16, 2012

Anonymous said: ↑

What's the betting that Pussy Riot became feminist/activist band when they realised they were only playing events where they knew each member of the audience personally.

Probably around the time they realized that being riot girrrrls means only having to know three chords.

Anonymous · Aug 16, 2012

So? U know any?

Anonymous · Aug 16, 2012

Now she is about to have become a symbol and it is good, tha's all. So listen for the rest ...

Anonymous · Aug 16, 2012

Interesting all the formerly famous who are riding the coattails of these genuinely brave women.

iraniam · Aug 17, 2012

Russian court finds Pussy Riot rockers guilty of hooliganism

Updated at 7:33 a.m. ET: MOSCOW -- A Russian judge on Friday found three members of a feminist punk band guilty of "hooliganism m otivated by religious hatred" after they staged an anti-Kremlin protest in a church, in a case their supporters say has put President Vladimir Putin's tolerance of dissent on trial.

Prosecutors are seeking a three-year jail sentence for the members of the band Pussy Riot, who stormed the altar of Moscow's Christ the Savior Cathedral in February wearing bright ski masks, tights and short skirts to hold a "punk prayer" for Russia to get rid of Putin.

Judge Marina Syrova was expected to read the women's sentence by Friday evening, but she did not immediately do so.

Putin's opponents portray the trial as part of a wider crackdown by the former KGB spy to crush their protest movement. Pop stars led by Madonna -- who performed in Moscow with "PUSSY RIOT" painted on her back -- have campaigned for the women's release. Washington says the case is politically motivated.

Natalia Kolesnikova / AFP - Getty Images
Members of the punk band Pussy Riot -- Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, center, Maria Alyokhina, right, and Yekaterina Samutsevich, left -- are escorted Friday by policewomen inside a Moscow court building.
"Our imprisonment is a clear and distinct sign that the whole country's freedom is being taken away," Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, 22, said in a letter written in jail and posted on the Internet by defense lawyer Mark Feigin.

In a sign of the tension over the trial in a small Moscow courtroom, Judge Syrova was assigned bodyguards on Thursday following what authorities said were threats.

The trial has divided Russia's Orthodox Christians, with many backing the authorities' demands for severe punishment, but others saying the women should be granted clemency.

Putin, who returned to the presidency this year, has said the women's punishment should not be too harsh.
Police blocked off the street outside the brick courthouse with metal barriers and at least seven police buses stood by.

Tolokonnikova, Maria Alyokhina, 24, and Yekaterina Samutsevich, 30, say their protest on Feb. 21 was intended to highlight the close ties between the Russian Orthodox Church and state, and not to offend believers.
Their feminist punk collective has about 10 members who appear in public in ski masks for anonymous impromptu performances they describe as a form of protest art.

The three members have been held in jail since shortly after the appearance in the cathedral, awaiting the trial, which saw a parade of state witnesses say they were traumatized by the church performance, which prosecutors called an abuse of God.

Their lawyers say the outcome will be dictated by the Kremlin. Putin's supporters deny this and portray the women as blasphemers and self-publicists who should be punished for committing a premeditated outrage against the Church.

"It was a conscious deed. They understood quite clearly where they were going and why," said Vladimir Burmatov, who represents Putin's United Russia party in parliament.

http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/...pussy-riot-rockers-guilty-of-hooliganism?lite

Anonymous · Aug 17, 2012

I don't see that "religious hatred" was proven; but then, who understands the byzantine Russian legal system?

They're going to give these three young women three years' hard labour. WTF.

Paroxetine Samurai · Aug 17, 2012

iraniam said: ↑

Russian court finds Pussy Riot rockers guilty of hooliganism

http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/...pussy-riot-rockers-guilty-of-hooliganism?lite

That sucks. I wonder if they can appeal? I don't know the legal system in Russia so I am not sure what they can do.

Anonymous · Aug 17, 2012

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-19297373

Pussy Riot members jailed for two years for hooliganism

Judge Marina Syrova: "These three plus others... plotted together to undermine civil order, motivated by religious hatred"

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Three members of Russian punk band Pussy Riot have been jailed for two years after staging an anti-Vladimir Putin protest in a Moscow cathedral.
Judge Marina Syrova convicted the women of hooliganism motivated by religious hatred, saying they had "crudely undermined social order".
The women say the protest, in February, was directed at the Russian Orthodox Church leader's support for Mr Putin.
The US, UK and EU all criticised the sentences as "disproportionate".
Prosecutors had been seeking a three-year jail sentence for the women.
Judge Syrova said Maria Alyokhina, 24, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, 22, and Yekaterina Samutsevich, 29, had offended the feelings of Orthodox believers and shown a "complete lack of respect".
"Tolokonnikova, Alyokhina and Samutsevich committed hooliganism - in other words, a grave violation of public order," she said.
Worldwide protests
Along with other members of their band, the women staged a flashmob-style performance of their song close to the altar in the cathedral on 21 February.

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In pictures: Pussy Riot support around the world

Their brief, obscenity-laced performance, which implored the Virgin Mary to "throw Putin out", enraged the Orthodox Church - its leader Patriarch Kirill said it amounted to blasphemy.
Mr Putin was elected for a third term as president two weeks later.
Alyokhina, Tolokonnikova and Samutsevich, watching Friday's proceedings from inside a glass-walled cage in the courtroom, smiled as the widely predicted conviction was announced.
The judge then took three hours to read the verdict, before handing down "two years deprivation of liberty in a penal colony" for each defendant.
"Considering the nature and degree of the danger posed by what was done, the defendants' correction is possible only through an actual punishment," she said.

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“Start Quote

They are in jail because it is Putin's personal revenge”
Alexei NavalnyOpposition leader

One man in the courtroom shouted "shame" at the sentencing, and there were chants and whistles from the band's supporters outside.
Tolokonnikova's husband, Pyotr Verzilov, said: "Russia's image was quite scary even before [this]. What happened now is a clear sign that Russia is moving towards becoming more like China or North Korea."
Opposition leader Alexei Navalny added: "They are in jail because it is Putin's personal revenge. This verdict was written by Vladimir Putin."
The defendants' lawyer, Nikolai Polozov, said they would not appeal to President Putin for a pardon. However, there will be a legal appeal against the verdict.
Amnesty International said the ruling was a "bitter blow" for freedom of expression in Russia.
EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton and the UK's Foreign Office criticised the severity of the sentences.
US state department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said: "We urge Russian authorities to review this case and ensure that the right to freedom of expression is upheld."
On Thursday, Tolokonnikova had said she was "not bitter about being in jail". But, speaking through her lawyer on Twitter, she said: "Politically, I am furious."
"Our imprisonment serves as a clear and unambiguous sign that freedom is being taken away from the entire country," she said.
The women have been detained for the past five months.

Anonymous · Aug 17, 2012

Freedom in Russia lol

ChronicEnturbulator · Aug 17, 2012

Anonymous said: ↑

Freedom in Russia lol

The only freedom in Putin's Russia is reserved for Putin himself...

Anonymous · Aug 17, 2012

ChronicEnturbulator said: ↑

The only freedom in Putin's Russia is reserved for Putin himself...

There hasn't been any freedom in Russia since the revolution, to claim that freedom is being taken away is laughable.

iraniam · Aug 17, 2012

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<br/><a href='http://www.5min.com/Video/NSFW-Femen-Activists-Cut-Down-Cross-in-Kyiv-517445148' style='font-family: Verdana;font-size: 10px;' target='_blank'>(NSFW) Femen Activists Cut Down Cross in Kyiv</a>
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Pussy Riot Trial: Topless FEMEN Activist Chainsaws Memorial Cross In Ukraine (VIDEO, NSFW)

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/17/pussy-riot-trial-femen_n_1798009.html

Anonymous · Aug 17, 2012

Bump for topless russian chicks, bump for freedom of conscience.

Anonymous · Aug 17, 2012

Awesome cut-down! Bravo!

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