Russian band punished for ‘religious hatred’
A Moscow court has found three members of the feminist punk band Pussy Riot guilty of “hooliganism motivated by religious hatred” after a guerrilla performance in Moscow’s main cathedral in February. They were sentenced on August 17 to two years in a penal colony.
The band performed a “punk prayer” against Russian president Vladimir Putin and Russian Orthodox patriarch Kirill I.
The case has divided Russia and the Orthodox Church and drawn worldwide protests on behalf of the band and free speech. Outside the courtroom, protesters clashed with police, and well-known chess champion Garry Kasparov was arrested during the protests.
