Punk Rock Band, Pussy Riot, Jailed for Two Years
Members of the feminist punk band, Pussy Riot, were sentenced to two years in jail on August 17, 2012, and charged with committing hate crimes at an anti-Putin protest at Moscow cathedral.
The band, which formed in August 2011, is known for its feminist message and provocative performances commentating on Russian political life and usually performed in unauthorized locations.
Amnesty and Human Rights Watch (HRW) have condemned the sentence. HRW’s Europe and Central Asian Director, Hugh Williamson, stated: “The charges and verdict against the Pussy Riot band members distort both the facts and the law...These women should never have been charged with a hate crime and should be released immediately”.
The result of this verdict has led to many online campaigns to free the three detained female members: Maria Alekhina, age 24, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, age 22 and Ekaterina Samucevich, age 29. The jailing of these women is part of a bigger clamp down on political dissent in Russia, and highlights the Putin regime’s no-nonsense approach to tackling freedom of speech to arguably the biggest audience in recent times.
