A Moscow court on Friday launched the trial of three feminist rockers who face a possible seven years in prison for performing a “punk prayer” against Russian President Vladimir Putin from the pulpit of Russia’s largest cathedral.
The case of the three members of the band Pussy Riot has deeply divided Russia, pitting advocates of openness against the forces of order and the powerful Russian Orthodox Church. The three had been held in jail for more than four months without a single court hearing.
The February stunt, two weeks before the election that returned Putin to the presidency, was designed to offend. Five members of Pussy Riot — wearing brightly colored balaclavas and miniskirts — briefly took over the pulpit at Christ The Savior Cathedral, chanting: “Mother Mary, drive Putin away” and high-kicking cancan-style.
Photo: AFP
What happened after security guards seized the five was extraordinary — even for a country whose leaders have shown little patience for protest. Three of the band members, two of whom have young children, were thrown into jail and face charges of hooliganism that could bring them seven years if convicted.
Supporters of the three say their jailing and charges are a draconian demonstration of how the church holds heavy sway in the government.
At Friday’s preliminary hearing, prosecutors asked that the women — Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, 23, Maria Alekhina, 24, and Yekaterina Samutsevich, 29 — be held in custody for at least six more months as the trial progresses. Defense attorneys have repeatedly asked for them to be released, in particular so they can take care of their young children.
The Khamovniki District Court building on Friday was surrounded by dozens of riot policemen, along with the band’s supporters and critics. The court proceedings were closed to the public.
Amnesty International said on Friday that it considered the three women to be prisoners of conscience “detained solely for the peaceful expression of their beliefs.”
The organization renewed its call on Russian authorities to drop the charges of hooliganism and release the band members. The church says the women deserve to be prosecuted for their “blasphemous” performance from a place near the altar on which no lay people are allowed to stand. However, thousands of believers have signed a petition urging the church to forgive the band.
Although church and state are separate under Russia’s constitution, the Russian Orthodox Church has claimed a leading role in setting moral guidelines for society. Its growing prominence has caused concern among followers of minority faiths and non-religious Russians.
The case has particularly rattled the Russian intelligentsia. Late last month, more than 100 artists and intellectuals — pro and anti-Putin alike — sent an open letter to the state, calling for the women’s release.
In a poll by the independent Levada Center and released by the prominent newspaper Kommersant on Friday, 50 percent of Muscovites said they did not support a criminal trial for the members of Pussy Riot, with 36 percent supporting the trial.
Pussy Riot gained notoriety about a month before the arrest by performing a song titled Putin Chickens Out from a spot on Red Square used in czarist Russia for announcing government decrees. Videos of their performances became instant Internet hits.
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