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The feminist collective PUSSY RIOT hit the headlines when three members were arrested after an anti-Putin protest. They now face up to seven years in jail for what in basic terms is singing a protest song. These young women - the youngest just 20 years old and some who are also young mothers are about to have their fate decided by the Russian government.
Punk band trial reveals Putin’s dark side
Two of the three women in the Moscow courtroom are young mothers. Their alleged crime: bursting into Moscow’s Christ the Saviour cathedral in February in balaclavas and thrashing out a “punk prayer”, “Mother Mary, Drive Putin Out!” In many countries, they might have been fined or cautioned. In Russia, if found guilty on hooliganism charges, the women could be jailed for seven years.
The trial of feminist punk band Pussy Riot, under way in Moscow, is highlighting the darker turn Russia’s political system has taken since Vladimir Putin returned for a third presidential term in May. It is only one element in a broader clampdown on civil society in recent weeks, apparently aimed at snuffing out opposition protests that flared in the winter.
Source: Financial Times
(via rainbownews)
