Pussy Riot: Dissent on Trial in Russia - In Focus. In February, four members of a feminist Russian punk-rock band named "Pussy Riot," protesting against President Vladimir Putin's government, walked into the Russian Orthodox Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow.
They wore bright-colored balaclavas and performed a provocative song called "Punk Prayer," with lyrics that called on the Virgin Mary to drive Putin away, and condemned the close relationship of the church and the Russian government. Shortly after, three of the women were arrested and detained for months as a 2,800-page indictment was compiled, accusing them of criminal hooliganism and religious hatred. On Friday, the three were convicted and sentenced to two years imprisonment, after a trial widely condemned by outside observers as an attack on free speech.
Gathered here are several images from the trial and the reactions of Pussy Riot supporters around the world. [34 photos] Pussy Riot hooliganism verdict due in Russia. 17 August 2012Last updated at 07:06 ET A verdict in the trial of three members of the Russian punk band Pussy Riot is due shortly.
The three women are charged with hooliganism after performing a protest song in Moscow's Christ the Saviour cathedral in February. They say their "punk prayer" was a political act in protest against the Russian Orthodox Church leader's support of President Vladimir Putin. Prosecutors have asked for them to be given three years in prison. Judge Marina Syrova will begin reading the ruling at 15:00 local time (11:00 GMT), in what is expected to be a lengthy process. Supporters of the women are planning to stage protests in dozens of cities around the world. Pussy Riot’s Closing Statement Denounces ‘Totalitarian System’
Pussy Riot Trial: Russian Punk Rockers' Trial Ends, Verdict Next Week. MOSCOW -- Three feminist punk rockers in Russia may face years in prison for barging into Moscow's main cathedral to sing a song against Vladimir Putin as he set out to reclaim the presidency.
Wearing ski masks and miniskirts in garish colors, the Pussy Riot band members danced and high-kicked while belting out this refrain: Virgin Mary, Mother of God, put Putin away. Put Putin away, put Putin away. The case has caused international outrage and split Russian society. Some say the women deserve to be punished for desecrating the Russian Orthodox Church and offending believers, while others insist that the women – who have already been in jail for five months – are being unfairly punished for their political beliefs. The three women, all in their 20s, said their goal was to express their resentment over the church's open support for Putin's rule.
The refrain goes like this: Pussy Riot courthouse protest verges on theater of the absurd (PHOTOS, VIDEO) Vassily Sigarev, a Voice From Russia’s Rust Belt. Jailed Russian Punk-Rockers 'Pussy Riot' Begin Hunger Strike. Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, a member of female punk band, "Pussy Riot", reacts behind bars during a court hearing in Moscow July 4, 2012.
REUTERS/Sergei Karpukhin Three members of Pussy Riot, the Russian feminist punk-rock band, began a hunger strike Wednesday after a Moscow court suddenly told them they must prepare their defense for trial by Monday. Maria Alyokhina, Yakaterina Samutsevich and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova were taken into custody in March, after the group's February performance of “Virgin Mary Put Putin Away,” an anti-Putin song, inside the Russian Orthodox Church's main cathedral, asking the Virgin Mary to chase President Vladimir Putin out of power. The three women were arrested over four months ago and have been held without bail on charges of criminal hooliganism — which carry a possible seven-year prison sentence.
Top Ukrainian Lawmaker Quits in Protest of Language Bill. Efrem Lukatsky/Associated Press Protesters and riot police officers clashed on Wednesday in Kiev, where controversy has erupted over a bill allowing Russian to become an official language.
The chairman, Volodymyr M. Lytvyn, said Parliament acted illegitimately in adopting the bill, and tendering his resignation temporarily blocks it from reaching President , who could sign it into law. Lawmakers from Mr. Yanukovich’s Party of Regions, which holds the majority, pushed the bill through in such a surprise maneuver that Mr. “I have been fooled, has been fooled, the people have been fooled,” Mr. Russia Sending Air and Sea Defenses to Syria. Tens of thousands in 'March of millions' Moscow protest (PHOTOS, VIDEO) Russian Law Will Impose Heavy Fines for Protesters. Misha Japaridze/Associated Press Russian police detain protesters outside the Parliament building in Moscow on June 5.
The law multiplies existing financial penalties for those who take part in a demonstration that harms people or property by a factor of more than 120, with potential fines of more than $9,000 for individuals, more than $18,000 for organizers and more than $30,000 for groups or companies. The penalties could also apply to people who participate in an approved demonstration but who violate the terms of their permit for the event. Such penalties would be crushing for most Russians, given the average yearly salary of about $8,500, but the implications of the new law extend far beyond practical considerations.
By all accounts, Mr. Although Mr. Supporters of the measure said it was needed to stem what they called a rising tide of radicalism. Despite the aggressive legislative push, some critics had held out hope that Mr. In announcing that he had signed the law, Mr. Www.fas.org/sgp/crs/row/RL33460.pdf. Drug addicts given last chance. Drug abuse in Russia may become a full-fledged crime resulting in a custodial sentence.
The appropriate amendments to the Сriminal Code will soon be submitted for consideration by parliament. The only way for drug addicts to avoid jail will be by agreeing to undergo a course of rehabilitation. Greater responsibility. What to do if a bribe is solicited from you. Penalties for drug-related crimes in Russia.
Russian Legal Information Agency (RAPSI). Putin Forever - An FP Slide Show. International House of Pander-cakes - The Daily Show with Jon Stewart - 05/07. Punk's cultural revolution - The New Inquiry. Russia Today, the politsiya and Western punks alike all want to know: Who is Pussy Riot, when is their next gig, and where can I get their album?
Despite having no releases or merchandise for sale, no tour dates, no Myspace or even recorded music, the band of masked women who perform only aggressive guerrilla shows has achieved a level of punk legitimacy not reached since the era when the combination of bleached hair and three chords was on its own automatically scandalous. The days of the Fraternal Order of Police suing the Crucifucks, Tipper Gore taking on the Dead Kennedys, and black metal goblins burning churches are long past. Punk is now no more a social threat than some leftist fringe group selling poorly designed newspapers.
Putin’s ruthless Russia. Edward Lucas, the international editor of the Economist and author of a new book about Russia, gives an excoriating critique of Putinism and explains how Russia’s amoral present is rooted in a failure to come to terms with its past.
Wherever you turn – from contemporary literature to media reporting – there seems to be an unremittingly negative portrayal of modern Russia as corrupt, undemocratic and gangster-run. Is that a fair description? Well, it’s both better and worse than the popular perception. It’s worse in the sense that I think the country is really run by what amounts to a gangster syndicate which is ruthless in its pursuit of wealth and power, and distorts the machinery of the state in order to achieve that and to perpetrate crimes against the Russian people.
So I think Russia is worse than the slightly sanitized picture we get in the media, not least because of libel laws that mean it’s quite hard to write clearly and bluntly about some of the people involved. Moscow Flash Mob Shows There's More Than One Way To Pick Favorites In A Presidential Election. Elections in Georgia: Degrees of control. Russian Energy Giant Eyes Greek Auction of Public Assets. As part of its loan agreement with European financial powers, the Greek government agreed to raise nearly $25 billion by selling off state assets.
Now, as the deadline for bids looms, United Press International reports that Russian oil giant Gaxprom is considering an effort to make purchases of state infrastructure in Greece, including the state gas company (DEPA) and DESFA, a gas pipeline operator. Greece announced last month its Public Gas Corp. would be put on the auction block as part of the debt-burdened country's efforts to raise $25 billion through the sale of government-owned property -- a condition of its European bailout package. The pipeline operation would give Russia new leverage in its ongoing energy transportation battle with Europe, while Greece faces continued austerity. Despicable is Hillary Clinton. Hillary Clinton is an interesting case study. She started four years ago as a charming Secretary of State, the smile on the snout to wipe out the snarl of her predecessor, Condoleezza Rice and four years on, she appears on camera butch, a trucker-type probably complete with tattoos, insolent, inconsequential and incompetent.
We now understand Bill. What happened to Hillary Clinton? Arizona sheriff finds Obama presidential qualifications forged. AP photo. No Apocalypse Yet. Moscow The anticipated apocalypse did not come to pass. The presidential election in Russia ran its course, Putin was duly elected, and to the great astonishment of the opposition, multimillion crowds demanding the blood of the tyrant did not materialize.
Only some 15,000 protesters gathered in central Moscow and dispersed peacefully within two hours. Only a remaining hundred hardcore activists were resolved “to stay until Putin goes” in the frozen city fountain. Russia Protesters Worry After Putin Calls In Riot Police. By Timothy Heritage. 'Serious problems' with vote that kept Vladimir Putin in power, monitors say. Vladimir Putin easily wins a third-term presidency despite massive street protests and allegations of fraud.
NBC's Jim Maceda reports. By msnbc.com news services Updated at 11:40 a.m. Russian Vote Draws Thousands of Election Observers. Putin Wins Presidency, but Opposition Keeps Pressure. Denis Sinyakov/Reuters Vladimir V. Putin addressed thousands of his supporters Sunday outside the Kremlin after winning a six-year term as president. Untimely Deaths in Ukraine. KIEV, Ukraine — By all official accounts, Yuri Kravchenko died by his own hand.
Putin Biography Chronicles Rise Of A 'Street Thug' Beyond Electoral Fraud: Russians Protest Corruption. Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has rigged the country’s elections to guarantee he will win. Alexey Druzhinin/AFP/Getty Images. Russia 2012 Elections - Russian Political Protests and Arrests. March 2, 2012, 10:55 AM. Midas Touch - Those With Putin Ties Glow Brightly. What Putin assassination attempt? MOSCOW, Russia — Instead of panic and fear, news of a foiled attempt to assassinate Russia’s prime minister — and likely future president — Vladimir Putin, has drawn ridicule. Russian all-girl punk band Pussy Riot arrested for performing Vladimir Putin song. Plot to kill PM Vladimir Putin foiled, pro-government TV channel reports. Prokhorov Is a New Kind of Russian Candidate - a Billionaire.
James Hill for The New York Times. Pick of the week: Escape from Putin's cult - Our Picks. Putin’s Rivals in Russia Gain a Place on the Air, for Now. In Ukraine, A Daughter Takes Up Her Mother's Cause.