Pussy Riot trio get two years' jail

3:35pm Friday 17th August 2012 in Entertainment News © Press Association 2013

Demonstrators have been protesting after Pussy Riot were found guilty of hooliganism Demonstrators have been protesting after Pussy Riot were found guilty of hooliganism

Three members of the punk band Pussy Riot have each been sentenced to two years in prison on hooliganism charges following a trial that has drawn international outrage.

The sentence comes amid a wave of protests around the world in support of the feminist rockers, who have also been publicly supported by stars including Sting, Madonna and Sir Paul McCartney.

The Moscow judge said in the verdict that the three band members "committed hooliganism driven by religious hatred" and offended religious believers.

The three were arrested in March after a performance in Moscow's main cathedral calling for the Virgin Mary to protect Russia against Vladimir Putin, who was elected to a new term as Russia's president two weeks later.

Human rights activists took to the streets today (Friday) in support of the rock band following the verdict.

Crowds of banner-waving supporters protested outside Russia's embassy in London's Kensington Palace Gardens and masked demonstrators also protested in O'Connell Street, Dublin's main thoroughfare.

Comments(1)

Scrutinizer says...
11:29am Sat 18 Aug 12

I think the '**** Riot' people went O.T.T. by conducting such a protest in the way they did, and in the most prominent and important church in Moscow, no less. Now, I can understand why they would pick such a high profile place to do that, but they should have expected a pretty tough response from the authorities - which is exactly what they got. And it could, as we know, have been much tougher. Ok, so they have got their publicity too, but Russian jail regimes are still well known for their toughness and I don't doubt that the experience will effect them significantly. But I notice that the Russian Orthodox Church has now (wisely and practically, not least from their point of view) publicly called for lenience towards these women. I reckon this, along with Putin's considerable influence (as in if the judiciary still want to keep their jobs - and possibly their own freedom!), will mean that the protesters will wind up doing considerably less than the two year sentence dished out to them. This won't 'gag' '**** Riot' of course (nor the other protest groups) and the increasingly sophisticated and more aware Russian youth will continue to be a thorn in Putin's side during his 'reign'.

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