The New Yorker is reporting that Moscow police have cordoned off the street outside the courthouse where three members of Russian female punk band Pussy Riot are going through pretrial hearings. Musicians Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, Maria Alyokhina and Ekaterina Samutsevich are being prosecuted for performing in the Moscow Cathedral of Christ the Savior.
Last February inside the cathedral, the musicians performed a punk prayer called “Our Lady, chase Putin out,” which lasted 30 seconds before they were removed by security. Because of the band's Putin protest, the members are currently being detained on hooliganism charges. Tolokonnikova, Samutsevich and Alekhina could face up to seven years in prison. Amnesty International is calling for their release.
Earlier this week, Agence France-Presse reported that a Russian court would allow the proceedings to be broadcast on their website, in an effort to provide “unprecedented transparency” in the trial. The trial is scheduled for July 30.
The Guardian: Franz Ferdinand, Red Hot Chili Peppers voice support for Pussy Riot
posted by
MAK
on Jul 25, 2012