Pussy Riot: Verdict is in

[alexora]

Hi Everyone,

It is with sadness that I have to relate here the latest news of the Russian show-trial these three young girls have endured as a result of singing the wrong sort of songs in a church.

These poor girls have been held in preventative custody for already 5 months, and have now been sentenced to 2 years in the slammer.

And all this for what? 2 years for this?

Pussy Riot Original Church Shoot Has No Criminal Content - YouTube

Pussy Riot Original Church Shoot Has No Criminal Content - YouTube

Pussy Riot members jailed for two years for hooliganism

Three members of Russian punk band Pussy Riot have been convicted of hooliganism motivated by religious hatred, over a protest in a cathedral.

Judge Marina Syrova jailed the three defendants for two years each.

She said the women had "crudely undermined social order" during their action in February.

The women say their "punk prayer" was a political act in protest against the Russian Orthodox Church leader's support of President Vladimir Putin.

Prosecutors had been seeking a three-year jail sentence.

Judge Syrova said Maria Alyokhina, 24, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, 22, and Yekaterina Samutsevich, 29, had offended the feelings of Orthodox believers and shown a "complete lack of respect".

"Tolokonnikova, Alyokhina and Samutsevich committed hooliganism - in other words, a grave violation of public order," she said.

The judge quoted prosecution witnesses as saying the act had been one of blasphemy, not politics.

Worldwide protests

Along with other members of their band, the women staged a flashmob-style performance of their song close to the altar in the cathedral on 21 February.

Their brief, obscenity-laced performance, which implored the Virgin Mary to "throw Putin out", enraged the Orthodox Church - its leader Patriarch Kirill said it amounted to blasphemy.

Mr Putin was elected for a second term as president two weeks later.

Alyokhina, Tolokonnikova and Samutsevich, watching Friday's proceedings from inside a glass-walled cage in the courtroom, smiled as the widely predicted verdict was delivered.

The BBC's Daniel Sandford, in Moscow, says the defendants were all handcuffed in the dock, whereas on other days the handcuffs had been removed.

On Thursday, Tolokonnikova had said she was "not bitter about being in jail". But, speaking through her lawyer on Twitter, she said: "Politically, I am furious."

"Our imprisonment serves as a clear and unambiguous sign that freedom is being taken away from the entire country," she said.

The women have been detained for the past five months.

Their defence lawyer said before the hearing that they were hoping for an acquittal, "but they are ready to continue to fight".

Large crowds of supporters have gathered outside the court in Moscow, including prominent opposition leader Alexei Navalny.

Associated Press news agency said a number of protesters had been arrested, including ex-world chess champion Garry Kasparov and opposition politician Sergei Udaltsov.

There were also pro-Pussy Riot protests in Paris, where demonstrators in Igor Stravinsky square chanted "Freedom", and in Kiev, where women protesters sawed down a wooden cross in a central square.

Other shows of support took place in Belgrade, Berlin, Sofia, London, Dublin and Barcelona.

The band have also had vocal support from artists including Paul McCartney and Madonna, and from politicians.

Critics of the band have also been demonstrating, saying the stunt was an insult to the Russian Orthodox Church.

One, Igor Kim, told the BBC News website from Moscow: "Shouting and screaming and spreading hate in Church is unacceptable and is contrary with Christian ethics."

One protester outside court in Moscow simply shouted: "Let Pussy Riot and all their supporters burn in hell."

Source

[Dieselbeer]

The girl paid a high price for a 30 seconds appearance. 2 years !!!

Well, the right becomes trample under feet, when it goes on (mass-murder) Mr. Putin.

I remember of the Judge saying: "dangerous violations" of the girls, but that translation might have been poor.

"....which implored the Virgin Mary to "throw Putin out", enraged the Orthodox Church - its leader Patriarch Kirill said it amounted to blasphemy."
What's not called "blasphemy" is jointed venture of Ex-KGB officer Mr. Putin and the Russian Orthodox Church, if one reconsiders what the KGB did to the priest of this church in the past.

[BenCodie]

Fuck them, they were idiots and deserve to go to jail.

[Dieselbeer]

Originally Posted by BenCodie

Fuck them, they were idiots and deserve to go to jail.

An opinion, no facts to back up anything!
Just the audience know why they are "idiots " and why they "deserve to go to jail".

[bill_az]

Originally Posted by Dieselbeer

Just the audience know why they are "idiots " and why they "deserve to go to jail".

One reason only:

They were stupid.

If you live in Russia, like these 3 do, you must obviously aware of the might of the Orthodox Church. As they would say, "they have some street cred." So going into a church and doing their little stunt is like pissing into the wind. It's like getting drunk and challenging John Dillinger to a gunfight.

The stupendous (and very liberal) photographer Ansel Adams once wrote, "...you do not play ping-pong in a cathedral, rustle popcorn at a string-quartet concert, or hang billboards on the face of Half Dome in Yosemite (not all of us would, anyway!)." I think there's an element of that here.

I went to high school with the grandson of a U.S. Senator. He thought his shit didn't stink. He was cocky and obnoxious. And one week before graduation, he showed up on campus drunk as hell, and proceeded to urinate in his guidance counselor's trash can...WHILE HE WAS IN THERE. Needless to say, he didn't graduate, despite his family connections.

Sometimes, stupid is just stupid. I like punk music sometimes, I like girls. Sometimes I even enjoy watching Joanna Angel get he turd cutter torn up. But these punk rock girls are gonna be [The Clash] breaking rocks in the hard sun...they fought the law and the law won. [/The Clash]

[BenCodie]

Originally Posted by Dieselbeer

An opinion, no facts to back up anything!
Just the audience know why they are "idiots " and why they "deserve to go to jail".

A few things I see but the article does not mention.

#1. These idiots are in a restricted area.
#2. These idiots are in all probability damaging art and sculptures, this is unforgivable IMO.
#3. These idiots fight to keep screaming profanities in a church, also putting the art work at risk from their aggressive movements.
#4. loud music and bright flashes will also destroy art work, these cunts have no regard for the art or the people who wish to see it someday.

I have traveled quite a bit in my life, and little disgusts me more then when some idiot puts art work at risk.


2 years...they got off easy.

[Dieselbeer]

At first: Let the poster express himself!

Second: I like Classic and Jazz, so I'm light years apart of loving Punk; and Rap sounds to my ears like an auction. But younger people (than me) like to express themselves that way - why not.

Third: What has happened? A 30 seconds appearance of the girls in a church, no damage of properties, no violence, only some people getting disturbed for 30 seconds - so what!
Here would such a stunt deserve a lower financial penalty; I really wouldn't expect that it comes to court - any judge would dismiss it immediately. (I don't know the term in English).
Not so in Russia, because - that can't be denied - Mr. Putin was involved. And this is lèse majesté, or comes near to it - or so.

And this deserves 2 years of jail? And this deserves (I think two of them are mothers) - and the threat of the prosecution had been worded - a withdraw of the parental authority.
Don't be ridiculous!

With stupid we can agree, but I fear not in the way you possibly expect.

[BenCodie]

You have no idea what type of damage they inflicted.


Also it's not the damage they did but the threat of it that matters. If I rush the Mona Lisa with a gutar in my hands while I scream fuck Jesus, as I fight the cops, there is no doubt I will be in big fucking trouble......even if I don't mange to break anything important.


Selfish, uneducated cunts get what they deserve.

[Dieselbeer]

What could have possibly happen, could happen in fantasy of anyone - but has not happened, is not justiciable.

[BenCodie]

Members here need to type in English.