Russia refuses to release anti-Putin punks Pussy Riot rock group
Russia on Wednesday refused to free from pretrial detention two alleged members of opposition punk rock group Pussy Riot who face up to seven years in jail for performing in a church.
A Moscow court rejected an appeal and ruled that two women, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and Maria Alekhina, must stay in detention until late April ahead of their trial for “hooliganism”, even though they have small children.
Outside the courtroom on Wednesday, police detained several demonstrators as supporters of the women held single-person pickets against the detentions, while opponents sprinkled them with holy water.
The radical all-female group sings raucous anthems against Vladimir Putin’s regime in public places including the metro and Red Square. Its members wear brightly coloured balaclavas to conceal their faces and use nicknames.
On February 21, five members climbed onto the altar in Moscow’s central Church of Christ the Saviour, often visited by Russia’s rulers, and attempted to shout out a song they called a “Punk Prayer” before being seized by guards.
The women all escaped, but police later detained four alleged members – including one man. They charged the two women with hooliganism in an organised group, a criminal charge rarely applied to opposition protests. (via Telegraph)
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