Amnesty International has urged Russia to release three members of all-woman punk band Pussy Riot who were detained after the group stormed into Moscow’s main cathedral to sing a protest song against president-elect Vladimir Putin.
Amnesty said the three denied taking part in the protest, launched by other members of the group who entered Christ theSaviour Cathedral on February 21st and, wearing multi-coloured masks, sang Holy Mother, Throw Putin Out.
Maria Alekhina, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and Yekaterina Samusevich face up to seven years in prison if they are found guilty of hooliganism following the performance, which criticised the Russian Orthodox Church’s support for Mr Putin. They were the only three arrested.
“Even if the three arrested women did take part in the protest, the severity of the response of the authorities – the detention on the serious charge of hooliganism – would not be a justifiable response to the peaceful . . . expression of their political beliefs,” Amnesty International said in a statement yesterday.
– (Reuters)