Pussy Riot is a Russian feminist punk-rock musical collective in Moscow, who stage politically provocative impromptu performances about Russian political life in unusual locations, such as on top of a trolleybus or on a scaffold in the Moscow Metro.
On February 21, 2012, four members of the group staged a performance on the soleas of Moscow’s Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, motivated by their opposition to the Russian President Vladimir Putin and the politics of the Russian Orthodox Church.[1][2] Their performance was interrupted by church security officials. On March 3, after a video of the performance appeared online, three of the group members were arrested and charged with hooliganism aimed at inciting religious hatred.[3]
Their trial began in late July and raised much controversy in Russia and globally. According to a poll by the Levada Center, 44% of Russians supported the trial and believed in its fairness, while 17% did not.[4] Yet the band members gained the noticeable support of some in Russia and internationally because of allegations of harsh treatment while in custody and the risk of a possible seven-year jail sentence.[5][6]
On August 17, 2012, the three members were convicted of hooliganism (article 213.2 of the Criminal Code) and each sentenced to two years imprisonment.[7][8] The Russian Orthodox Church issued a statement appealing to the authorities to show clemency, within the framework of the law. The Church cast no doubt on the legitimacy of the court’s decision.[9][10] The trial and conviction have attracted international criticism.[11] The foreign ministries of Germany and Sweden, together with representatives of the European Union and the United States, called the sentence "disproportionate".[12]
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