Pussy Riot members sentenced to Russian prison in absentia
Five members of the Russian collective Pussy Riot have been sentenced to prison in absentia relating to two incidents.
The Pussy Riot members, who all currently live outside of Russia, have been sentenced to between eight and 13 years in prison by a Moscow court, according to the local media outlet Mediazona.
The first charge against the band’s Maria Alyokhina, Taso Pletner, Olga Borisova, Diana Burkot and Alina Petrova relates to the prosecutors deeming them to have spread “false information” about the Russian military killing Ukrainian civilians in their 2022 music video for ‘Mama, Don’t Watch TV’.
Their second offence related to a performance at the Munich Pinakothek der Moderne, involving Maria Alyokhina, Alina Petrova and Taso Pletner. One member of the band, Pletner, urinated on a photo of Vladimir Putin during the concert.
All five members of the band were found guilty of the charges at the Basmanny District Court in Moscow.
Prosecutor Vladimir Nagaitsev has requested that Alyokhina be sentenced to 13 years in prison in absentia, and Pletner face 11 years in prison. Meanwhile, Borisova, Burkot, and Petrova have been handed eight-year prison sentences in absentia.
In the hearing, Nagaitsev said that Alyokhina “holds left-wing political views” and said that Pussy Riot “oppose the current government”.
Pletner wrote in a message that was delivered by her defence attorney: “Andrei Sinyavsky wrote in his essay ‘Literature as a Crime’: ‘Until a writer is declared a criminal, he cannot consider himself accomplished. Literature that does not cross boundaries tramples around in its designated pen – like a child splashing around in a paddling pool.'”
The message continued: “‘Until now, I considered myself innocent, and therefore a failed artist. If the court thinks otherwise, how can the nominee prevent the award? Especially when the award is presented by the Russian court itself.’ I do not admit my guilt, I do not agree with the charges.”
The Moscow Times states that all members of Pussy Riot reject the charges and consider the sentences to be politically motivated.
Pussy Riot are yet to comment directly on the sentencing.
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