Russia Declares Punk Band an ‘Extremist Organization’
Members of the Russian feminist group Pussy Riot protest inside the Christ the Savior Cathedral in Moscow, Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2012. (AP Photo, File)
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Pussy Riot is basically banned from operating in Russia
A Russian court on Monday declared punk collective Pussy Riot an “extremist organization,” effectively banning the group from operating in Russia and exposing anyone connected to it to potential criminal prosecution, according to the Associated Press. The decision was handed down by Moscow’s Tverskoy District Court.
Pussy Riot first gained international attention in 2012 after performing a provocative “punk prayer” against President Vladimir Putin from the pulpit of Russia’s largest cathedral.
“The terrorists have labeled us extremists,” said Pussy Riot activist Alexander Sofeev, according to the Moscow Times. “I can’t say that I’m particularly upset by a decision coming from people like that. For me, these are completely illegitimate institutions that do not represent my interests in any way. As for our activities, all the participants are now, fortunately, outside Russia, so I don’t think there will be any major changes.”
In a related case last September, five individuals associated with Pussy Riot—Maria Alyokhina, Taso Pletner, Olga Borisova, Diana Burkot, and Alina Petrova—were sentenced to prison by a Russian court for allegedly spreading “false information” about the Russian military, reports Mediazona. The case was tied to an anti-war music video and an art performance in Germany in which Pletner urinated on a portrait of Putin.
Alyokhina received a 13-year sentence, Pletner was sentenced to 11 years, and Burkot, Petrova, and Borisova each received eight years. All have dismissed the charges as politically motivated. Mediazona was co-founded by Alyokhina and fellow Pussy Riot member Nadezhda Tolokonnikova.
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