Russia's female punk band protesters jailed for two years | Reuters Fri Aug 17, 2012 | 4:22 PM EDT Russia's female punk band protesters jailed for two years By Timothy Heritage and Maria Tsvetkova | MOSCOW MOSCOW Three women from the Russian punk band Pussy Riot were sentenced to two years in jail on Friday for staging a protest against President Vladimir Putin in a church, a ruling supporters described as his "personal revenge". The group's backers burst into chants of "Shame" outside the Moscow courthouse and said the case showed Putin was cracking down on dissent in his new six-year term as president. Dozens were detained by police when scuffles broke out. The United States and the European Union condemned the sentence as disproportionate and asked for it to be reviewed, although state prosecutors had demanded a three-year jail term and the maximum sentence possible was seven years. But while the women have support abroad, where their case has been taken up by a long list of celebrities including Madonna, Paul McCartney and Sting, opinion polls show few Russians sympathize with them.

"The girls' actions were sacrilegious, blasphemous and broke the church's rules," Judge Marina Syrova told the court as she spent three hours reading the verdict while the women stood watching in handcuffs inside a glass courtroom cage. She declared all three guilty of hooliganism motivated by religious hatred, saying they had deliberately offended Russian Orthodox believers by storming the altar of Moscow's main cathedral in February to belt out a "punk prayer" deriding Putin. Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, 22, Marina Alyokhina, 24, and Yekaterina Samutsevich, 30, giggled as the judge read out the sentences one by one, but portrayed themselves as victims of Soviet-style persecution during the trial that began on July 30. They have already been in jail for about five months, meaning they will serve another 19, and could be released if Putin were to pardon them. The Orthodox Church hinted it would not oppose such a move by appealing, belatedly, for mercy.

Pussy Riot took on two powerful state institutions at once when they burst into Moscow's golden-domed Christ the Saviour Cathedral wearing bright ski masks, tights and short skirts to protest against Putin's close ties with the Church. The judge said the three women had "committed an act of hooliganism, a gross violation of public order showing obvious disrespect for society." She rejected their argument that they had no intention of offending Russian Orthodox believers. It became one of Russia's most high-profile trials since the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991 and Putin's critics said it put the 59-year-old Kremlin leader's policies in the dock. Opponents depicted it as part of a crackdown by the ex-KGB spy against a protest movement that took off over the winter, attracting what witnesses said were crowds of up to 100,000 people in Moscow to oppose his return to power. "They are in jail because it is Putin's personal revenge," Alexei Navalny, one of the organizers of the protests, said outside the court. "This verdict was written by Vladimir Putin." A police source told Itar-Tass news agency 50 people had been detained near the court when scuffles broke out.

Among them were Sergei Udaltsov, a leftist opposition leader, and Garry Kasparov, a Putin critic and former world chess champion. But there was no sign of the opposition taking to the streets in anger. Opposition leaders plan a small gathering in Moscow on Sunday, the anniversary of a failed coup shortly before the Soviet Union fell in 1991, but the next big anti-Putin rally is not planned until September 15. Putin's spokesman did not immediately comment on the verdict but the president's supporters said before the trial that he would have no influence on the court's decision. Although Pussy Riot have never made a record or had a hit song, foreign singers have led the campaign for the trio's release. Madonna performed in Moscow with "PUSSY RIOT" painted on her back and wearing a ski mask in solidarity. But a poll of Russians released by the independent Levada research group showed only 6 percent sympathized with the women and 51 percent found nothing good about them or felt irritation or hostility. The rest could not say or were indifferent.

Valentina Ivanova, 60, a retired doctor, said outside the courtroom: "What they did showed disrespect towards everything, and towards believers first of all." CHURCH CALLS FOR MERCY Putin, who returned to the presidency for a third term on May 7 after a four-year spell as prime minister, had said the women did "nothing good" but should not be judged too harshly. The trio's defense lawyers said they would appeal. The Church issued a statement condemning the women's actions but urged the state to show mercy "within the framework of the law". That appeared to signal that the Church would back a pardon or reduced sentence, although the women would be expected to admit guilt if they sought a pardon. U.S. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said Washington was concerned about the "disproportionate sentences ... and the negative impact on freedom of expression in Russia", and urged Russian authorities "to review this case". EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said the sentence called into question Russia's respect for the "obligations of fair, transparent, and independent legal process".

In protests outside Russia in support of Pussy Riot, a bare-chested feminist activist took a chainsaw to a wooden cross bearing a figure of Christ in Kiev. In Bulgaria, sympathizers put Pussy Riot-style masks on statues at a Soviet Army monument. Opposition leaders say Putin will not ease up on opponents in his new term. Parliament has already rushed through laws increasing fines for protesters, tightening controls on the Internet, and imposing stricter rules on defamation. Gay rights suffered a blow in Moscow when an appeals court upheld a ruling rejecting applications from activists to hold a gay rights march each year for the next 100 years. Anti-gay activists later sued Madonna for $10 million in St Petersburg, saying she insulted their feelings by speaking out for gay rights there last week.

(Additional reporting by Nastassia Astrasheuskaya, Alissa de Carbonnel, Thomas Grove and Steve Gutterman in Moscow and Olzhas Auyezov in Kiev; Editing by Alastair Macdonald, Will Waterman and Giles Elgood) ADVERTISEMENT 1/14 Members of the female punk band ''Pussy Riot'' (R-L) Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, Yekaterina Samutsevich and Maria Alyokhina sit in a glass-walled cage after a court hearing in Moscow, August 17, 2012. Reuters/Maxim Shemetov + 2/14 Members of the female punk band ''Pussy Riot'' (R-L) Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, Maria Alyokhina and Yekaterina Samutsevich sit in a glass-walled cage during a court hearing in Moscow, August 17, 2012. A Russian judge delivers a verdict on Friday against three members of the Pussy Riot punk band whose trial for staging an anti-Kremlin protest in a church has provoked an international outcry against President Vladimir Putin.

Reuters/Sergei Karpukhin + 3/14 New York Police Department officers arrest a woman demonstrating in solidarity with the Russian punk band Pussy Riot in front of the Russian Consulate in New York August 17, 2012. Reuters/Lucas Jackson + 4/14 Police detain a supporter of the female punk band ''Pussy Riot'' for violation of law and order in Moscow, August 17, 2012. Reuters/Maxim Shemetov + 5/14 Protestors gather outside the Russian Consulate General building during a demonstration of support for the female Russian female punk band Pussy Riot in Edinburgh, Scotland August 17, 2012. Reuters/David Moir + 6/14 Nadezhda Tolokonnikova (C), a member of the female punk band ''Pussy Riot'', is escorted by police before a court hearing in Moscow August 17, 2012. Reuters/Tatyana Makeyeva + 7/14 A masked man attends a rally, in support of Russian punk band Pussy Riot, in Sydney August 17, 2012.

Reuters/Daniel Munoz + 8/14 Maria Alyokhina (C), a member of the female punk band ''Pussy Riot'', is escorted by police before a court hearing in Moscow, August 17, 2012. Reuters/Tatyana Makeyeva + 9/14 Yekaterina Samutsevich (R), a member of the female punk band ''Pussy Riot'', is escorted by police before a court hearing in Moscow, August 17, 2012. Reuters/Tatyana Makeyeva + 10/14 Yekaterina Samutsevich, a member of the female punk band ''Pussy Riot'', is escorted by police before a court hearing in Moscow, August 17, 2012. Reuters/Tatyana Makeyeva + 11/14 A woman plays drums during a rally, in support of Russian punk band Pussy Riot, in Sydney August 17, 2012.

Reuters/Daniel Munoz + 12/14 Protesters march through midtown Manhattan while demonstrating in solidarity with the Russian punk band Pussy Riot in New York August 17, 2012. Reuters/Brendan McDermid + 13/14 New York Police Department officers arrest a woman demonstrating in solidarity with the Russian punk band Pussy Riot in front of the Russian Consulate in New York August 17, 2012. Reuters/Lucas Jackson + 14/14 Activists wear masks with a tape pasted over their mouths in support of members of the female punk band Pussy Riot and during a protest rally in front of the Russian Embassy in Warsaw August 17, 2012. Reuters/Kacper Pempel + Feminist punk band Pussy Riot take revolt to the Kremlin | World news | The Guardian Russia Feminist punk band Pussy Riot take revolt to the Kremlin Anonymous band with provocative anti-Putin lyrics – who have become a symbol of Russian youth's discontent – are preparing for their next surprise performance Members of Pussy Riot perform on a platform in front of St Basil's Cathedral in Red Square, Moscow.

Photograph: Anna Artemeva/AFP/Getty Images Close This article is 4 years old Eight women stood in a line opposite the Kremlin, neon balaclavas hiding their faces, fists pounding the air in rugged defiance. Before police carted them off, the members of Pussy Riot managed to shout their way through a minute-long punk anthem: "Revolt in Russia – the charisma of protest / Revolt in Russia, Putin's got scared!" Formed days after Vladimir Putin's announcement in September that he intended to return to the presidency, Pussy Riot have become the latest symbol of young Russian discontent. "A lot of us couldn't sleep after this announcement," said "Tyurya", one of the founding members of a punk collective that has grown, since October, to roughly 30 people, including crew. "So we decided, damn it, we need to do something. We always went to protests and things, but it seemed to us we needed to do something more." The mid-January performance on Red Square, brazen in its choice of location and lyrics, catapulted the all-female punk band into the pantheon of Russia's increasingly creative protest movement.

Pussy Riot are sworn to anonymity, hence the colourful balaclavas members use to hide their faces, even when giving interviews. "It shows we can be anybody," says a band member who goes by the name Garadzha, wearing a hot-pink ski mask and matching stockings. They decline to reveal the smallest details, aiming to maintain total secrecy. They will say only that most of the band members met at the small protests held by Russia's once-feebled opposition, from monthly illegal demonstrations calling for the right to assembly to banned gay pride marches. Their average age is 25. They are hardcore feminists. Most studied the humanities in university. They won't detail their day jobs. What united them in October was the feeling that something had to change in the country and in its culture of protest, which, until tens of thousands took to the streets after contested parliamentary elections in December, had had hardly any effect on the political discourse. "We understood that to achieve change, including in the sphere of women's rights, it's not enough to go to Putin and ask for it," said Garadzha. "This is a rotten, broken system." Her bandmate Tyurya said: "The culture of protest needs to develop.

We have one form, but we need many different kinds." The band began writing songs with lyrics such as: "Egyptian air is good for the lungs / Do Tahrir on Red Square!" and performing on trams and in the metro. Videos of the flash gigs began spreading across the internet. When the protest leader Alexey Navalny was jailed for 15 days after his arrest during Russia's first post-election protest on 5 December, three members of Pussy Riot took to the roof of the jail where he was being held, setting off red flares as they sang "Death to prison / Freedom to protest!" The fear of arrest long ago left the band members, steeped in the tradition of illegal protest. "We have experience with it, we've been detained at protests before," said Tyurya. "It's not scary – you're surrounded by good, normal people, those who protest against Putin." All eight women were detained during the Kremlin performance, questioned and released. Most got off with administrative fines rather than the 15-day jail sentences often doled out to those who stage illegal protests. "The revolution should be done by women," said Garazhda.

"For now, they don't beat or jail us as much." "There's a deep tradition in Russia of gender and revolution – we've had amazing women revolutionaries." The band is getting ready for its next performance, something that usually takes a month to pull together. Its members don't discuss plans on the telephone or give away details, out of fear that the security services will disrupt the project. Is what they do art or politics? "For us it's one and the same." They won't be wearing their radical outfits when attending Moscow's next big protest on Saturday, as the opposition hopes to build on the momentum of two major protests in December that brought tens of thousands to the streets of the Russian capital. But like all good punks, the band wants to see the protest movement develop beyond legal boundaries. "Putin and his team are behaving so rudely, and the people aren't ready to react in the same way – they want all these protests to be sanctioned," said Tyurya. "But that's what's needed when you're fighting an illegitimate government.

They're basically occupiers, they don't have the right to be here – why should things be agreed with them?" That was a sentiment that began to arise among some of Moscow's protesters in late January, when negotiations between organisers and the mayor's office dragged on as authorities sought – and ultimately failed – to push the demonstration to Moscow's outskirts. Protesters will march on Saturday towards Bolotnaya Square, across from the Kremlin. Tens of thousands are expected, despite a temperature of -20C. Putin is still widely expected to win the presidential election on 4 March and remains the country's most popular politician, something his critics attribute to the state's monopoly on television and access to politics. Liberal politicians are regularly denied the right to register parties, and the candidacy of Grigory Yavlinsky, the leader of the liberal Yabloko party, was declared invalid last week. Yet analysts say Putin's ability to govern unchallenged will be severely hampered by the negative reaction to his return. It has not only rocked the Russian elite, but led to a renewal of spirit in Russia's creative classes. Satirical programmes find no place on state-run television but have blossomed on the internet.

Moscow theatres are staging overtly anti-regime plays. And Pussy Riot, who cite riot grrrl pioneers Bikini Kill and cult heroes Sonic Youth as inspiration, continue to perform. "We wanted to create a new form of protest – maybe not such a huge one, but we compensate for that with the bright, provocative and illegal nature of our performances," Tyurya said. Like Russia's tens of thousands of protesters, the band members don't know how the authorities will react next time. "After Red Square, they took us roughly, got even angrier than usual," Tyurya said.

"The phrase 'Putin's got scared' – it was a real slap in their faces." Thousands pray outside Moscow's main cathedral, the scene of jailed punk band's alleged hooliganism during anti-Putin protest Published: 22 Apr 2012 Patriarch Kirill condemns calls for leniency after Pussy Riot performed unsanctioned show in Moscow's main cathedral Published: 25 Mar 2012 Supporters at anti-Putin rally in Moscow call for release of alleged members of band Published: 10 Mar 2012 Two band members still in custody are reportedly on hunger strike after protest at Moscow's Christ the Saviour cathedral Published: 6 Mar 2012 Pussy Riot sentenced to two years in prison colony over anti-Putin protest | World news | The Guardian Pussy Riot sentenced to two years in prison colony over anti-Putin protest Russian leader accused of orchestrating case against trio found guilty of hooliganism motivated by religious hatred Friday 17 August 2012 16.13 EDT First published on Friday 17 August 2012 16.13 EDT Close This article is 4 years old Three members of the Russian

 feminist punk band Pussy Riot are facing two years in a prison colony after they were found guilty of hooliganism motivated by religious hatred, in a case seen as the first salvo in Vladimir Putin's crackdown on opposition to his rule.

Maria Alyokhina, 24, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, 22, and Yekaterina Samutsevich, 30, were calmly defiant as a judge handed down the sentence, to cries of "Shame!" inside and outside court. Judge Marina Syrova said she rejected their arguments that they had not intended to offend religious believers but were protesting against the Orthodox church's support for Putin. The case has galvanised Russia's anti-Putin protest movement and raised the international profile of their cause, with dozens of protests held worldwide. British and American officials were quick to condemn what they described as a "disproportionate" sentence. The Foreign Office minister, Alistair Burt, said: "I am deeply concerned by the sentencing of three members of the band Pussy Riot, which can only be considered a disproportionate response to an expression of political belief." A spokeswoman for the US state department said: "We urge Russian authorities to review this case and ensure that the right to freedom of expression is upheld." Catherine Ashton, the EU's high representative, said she was disappointed by the verdict.

"It puts a serious question mark over Russia's respect for international obligations of fair, transparent, and independent legal process," she said. Putin has alleged that foreign powers are behind the protest movement against his rule, launched shortly after he announced last autumn that he was returning to the presidency. Pussy Riot's supporters and opposition activists accused Putin of personally orchestrating the case against them. "They are in jail because it is Putin's personal revenge," said Alexey Navalny, the opposition's de facto leader. "The verdict was written by Vladimir Putin ." The three women were arrested in March after performing an anti-Putin "punk prayer" inside Moscow's Cathedral of Christ the Saviour . The case against them is seen as serving two functions: a warning to other dissidents, and an appeal to Putin's conservative base. Russia's growing campaign against gay rights is seen as a part of that effort, and on Friday Moscow's main court upheld a 100-year ban on gay pride rallies.

On Friday night, the Russian Orthodox church repeated its criticism of the band's "blasphemous" protest, which it said displayed "crude hostility towards millions of people" but called on state authorities "to show mercy to the people convicted within the framework of the law, in the hope that they will refrain from repeating blasphemous actions". Dozens of protesters were arrested outside court, including chess grandmaster Garry Kasparov and leftist opposition leader Sergei Udaltsov. Hundreds more remained long after the court session had ended, shouting: "Russia without Putin!" More than a dozen people have been arrested for taking part in a protest on 6 May against Putin, and could be jailed or fined under a new law against unauthorised demonstrations. Navalny faces up to 10 years in prison after he was charged in a fraud case widely seen as an excuse to crack down on his activism. The country's rubber-stamp parliament has recently passed a law forcing nongovernmental organisations that receive international grants to declare themselves "foreign agents", and another that could prompt widespread censorship of the internet. Protests in support of Pussy Riot were held around the world in New York, Vienna and dozens of other cities.

The Royal Court theatre in London staged verbatim readings of the women's closing statement to the court to coincide with the verdict. Sir Paul McCartney, Madonna, and Björk are among the dozens of stars who have issued messages of support. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch called the sentence a bitter blow to freedom of expression inside Russia . Activists said the case has only strengthened the growing movement against Putin's rule. "Russia must stop being a laughing stock in the eyes of the world," said one woman protesting outside the court, who declined to give her name. "We must join civilised society. I really want to hope that our government will find common sense and stop showing itself in such a monstrous way." Boris Akunin, one of Russia's most popular authors, said that the verdict had doomed Putin to "another year and a half of international shame and humiliation." Other supporters were less optimistic. Tolokonnikova's husband Pyotr Verzilov said blame for the verdict rested with one man alone: "Whatever Putin wants, Putin gets." In public statements made earlier this month, Putin had called for the women to be judged "not too severely". Prosecutors had asked for a three-year sentence.

The women remained defiant throughout the trial, issuing powerful closing statements that quickly entered the canon of Russia's dissident speeches. "We have won," Samutsevich said in her closing statement. "The whole world now sees that the criminal case against us has been fabricated. The system cannot conceal the repressive nature of this trial. Once again, the world sees Russia differently than the way Putin tries to present it." The women intend to appeal against the sentence.

'What Putin wants, he gets,' say angry supporters of punk band jailed for 'violating social order' Published: 17 Aug 2012 News organizations pussy out of using controversial Russian punk rock band's name in coverage of their convictions Published: 17 Aug 2012 Members of feminist punk band Pussy Riot have been sentenced to two years in jail over anti-Putin protest at Moscow cathedral Published: 17 Aug 2012 As three members of the Russian punk band await a verdict, we examine how they managed to find themselves in the dock Published: 17 Aug 2012 Russian court imprisons Pussy Riot band members on hooliganism charges - CNN.com Russian court imprisons Pussy Riot band members on hooliganism charges By Laura Smith-Spark, CNN Updated 11:24 AM ET, Sat August 18, 2012 Chat with us in Facebook Messenger. Find out what's happening in the world as it unfolds.

Photos: Show of support for Pussy Riot Women in waiting – Pussy Riot band members Yekaterina Samutsevich, Maria Alyokhina and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova sit in a glass-walled cage during a court hearing in Moscow on Friday August 17. Hide Caption 1 of 7 Photos: Show of support for Pussy Riot Feminist solidarity – The court case has sparked demonstrations of support across Europe and the U.S. An activist from feminist group Femen cuts down an Orthodox cross in Ukraine, erected in memory of victims of political oppression, in a show of solidarity with the punk band. Hide Caption 2 of 7 Photos: Show of support for Pussy Riot Writing on the wall? – A man walks past pro-Pussy Riot graffiti in Moscow. Band members were charged after screaming "Mother Mary please drive Putin away" during a concert inside Christ Savior Cathedral, in February. Hide Caption 3 of 7 Photos: Show of support for Pussy Riot Colorful support – Campaigners wear the band's trademark colorful balaclavas in a demonstration outside the Church of Christ the Savior in Moscow.

Hide Caption 4 of 7 Photos: Show of support for Pussy Riot Political protest – Pro-Pussy Riot demonstrators gather in St. Petersburg. Putin criticized the band's action earlier this month but said they should not be judged "too harshly," according to state-run news agency RIA Novosti. Hide Caption 5 of 7 Photos: Show of support for Pussy Riot Cagey subject – Supporters sit locked in a mock defendants cage outside a Moscow court. The band members have been charged with hooliganism aimed at "inciting religious hatred." Hide Caption 6 of 7 Photos: Show of support for Pussy Riot Pussy Riot masks – Demonstrators wear Pussy Riot-style masks outside a Moscow court. Singer Madonna also donned one of the masks during a recent gig in the city, telling the audience: "Everyone has the right to free speech, everywhere in the world.

Maria, Katya, Nadia, I pray for you." Hide Caption EU foreign policy chief says case adds to "upsurge in politically motivated intimidation" The three women were sentenced to two years' imprisonment for hooliganism They sang a song critical of President Vladimir Putin in a protest at a Moscow cathedral Arrests were made outside court as the verdict was delivered, state media reported Three members of Russian female punk rock band Pussy Riot were sentenced to two years in prison Friday after they were found guilty of hooliganism for performing a song critical of President Vladimir Putin in a church. The five months they have spent in detention since their arrests in March count toward the sentence, Judge Marina Sirovaya said. The judge said the charges against the three young women -- Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, Maria Alyokhina and Yekaterina Samutsevich -- had been proved by witnesses and the facts. The Pussy Riot members were charged after screaming, "Mother Mary, please drive Putin away," in a protest act in February inside Christ Savior Cathedral, one of Moscow's grandest houses of worship.

MUST WATCH Female punk band mocks Putin, is jailed 02:55 Sirovaya rejected the women's defense that they were acting from political motives, ruling that they had intended to insult the Russian Orthodox Church and undermine public order. However, the fact that two of them have young children was a mitigating factor in the sentencing, the judge said. The defendants were accused of offending the churchgoers present -- through their actions, obscene language and their clothing -- and showing a lack of respect for the rules of the Orthodox Church. They ignored requests to stop their brief unscheduled protest performance, the court heard. While their actions outraged many of Russia's faithful, their high-profile trial prompted international concern about freedom of speech in Russia. The U.S. Embassy in Moscow said on its official Twitter feed that the sentence was "disproportionate." European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton condemned the court's decision as "deeply troubling." "Together with the reports of the band members' mistreatment during their pre-trial detention and the reported irregularities of the trial, it puts a serious question mark over Russia's respect for international obligations of fair, transparent, and independent legal process," she said.

Pussy Riot and Russia's surreal 'justice' "It also runs counter to Russia's international obligations as regards respect for freedom of expression." Urging Russia to reverse the sentence, Ashton said the case "adds to the recent upsurge in politically motivated intimidation and prosecution of opposition activists in the Russian Federation, a trend that is of growing concern to the European Union." Rights group Amnesty International said that the court's decision was "a bitter blow for freedom of expression in the country" and that the women were now "prisoners of conscience." Amnesty believes that the women's conduct "was politically motivated, and that they were wrongfully prosecuted for what was a legitimate -- if potentially offensive -- protest action," it said in a statement. Supporters vent anger on Twitter John Dalhuisen, director of Amnesty International's Europe and Central Asia Program, urged Russian authorities to overturn the sentence and release the trio unconditionally. He also highlighted recent measures "restricting the freedom of expression and association" introduced after a wave of popular protests that accompanied elections earlier this year. "This trial is another example of the Kremlin's attempts to discourage and delegitimize dissent. It is likely to backfire," he said.

Human Rights Watch also said the women should never have been prosecuted for a hate crime. "The charges and verdict against the Pussy Riot band members distort both the facts and the law," Hugh Williamson, the rights group's Europe and Central Asia director, said in a statement. Earlier, a number of arrests were made outside the court, where protesters gathered as the verdict was read, RIA Novosti reported. The women are expected to appeal the court's decision. The charge of hooliganism aimed at inciting religious hatred carried a potential sentence of up to seven years in prison. None of the three women is older than 30. They have been in custody since their arrest shortly after the unexpected performance. They looked calm and occasionally smiled and exchanged remarks as they stood, sometimes in handcuffs, behind a glass wall in the court, listening to the lengthy ruling.

Moscow district court heard that the three worked together to carry out their "criminal act which violated public order" -- in an action that "went against tradition and is a great insult to the church and people." The three wore revealing, brightly colored clothing and covered their faces with balaclava-style masks in a style "inappropriate" for a church before making use of a microphone and electric guitar, the court was told. Video footage of the "punk prayer" protest song was placed online, although the judge said it was not clear who had posted it. Sirovaya said that the apologies by the defendants "were not sincere" and described their conduct as "an unprecedented act of hooliganism by women." Celebrities back Pussy Riot Evidence from character witnesses for the three women was also read out. Alyokhina was described as being a writer of poetry, a vegan and a good mother, RIA Novosti said. Pop star Madonna last week performed Pussy Riot-style in a face mask and with the group's name on her back during a packed Moscow gig. She's one of a number of celebrities to back the women's cause. "Everyone has the right to free speech, everywhere in the world.

Maria, Katya, Nadia, I pray for you," Madonna said at Tuesday's concert, according to RIA Novosti. "They did something brave with their action. And I am praying for their freedom." Rallies in support of Pussy Riot were also organized Friday outside Russian embassies around the world, including in London and Washington. Putin criticized the women's action this month but said they should not be judged "too harshly," RIA Novosti said. He added that he hoped the court makes "the right decision." Pussy Riot specializes in sudden, often illegal public performances, including one in Moscow's Red Square. The "punk prayer" was inspired by the women's anger about the relationship between the Russian government and the Orthodox Church, according to the band's manager, who is married to one of the women. The Orthodox leader Patriarch Kyril has been widely reported as saying Putin's years in power have been a miracle from God. Putin won reelection to the presidency in March in a vote that international observers said did not meet international standards. The presidential election came just months after allegations of fraud in parliamentary elections prompted the largest anti-government demonstrations Russia had seen in two decades.

Pussy Riot members jailed for two years for hooliganism - BBC News BBC News Pussy Riot members jailed for two years for hooliganism 17 August 2012 Read more about sharing. Close share panel Media captionJudge Marina Syrova: "These three plus others... plotted together to undermine civil order, motivated by religious hatred" Three members of Russian punk band Pussy Riot have been jailed for two years after staging an anti-Vladimir Putin protest in a Moscow cathedral. Judge Marina Syrova convicted the women of hooliganism motivated by religious hatred, saying they had "crudely undermined social order". The women say the protest, in February, was directed at the Russian Orthodox Church leader's support for Mr Putin. The US, UK and EU all criticised the sentences as "disproportionate". Prosecutors had been seeking a three-year jail sentence for the women. 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. 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. Image caption The band's trademark balaclavas have been placed on statues around Moscow 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 third 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 conviction was announced. The judge then took three hours to read the verdict, before handing down "two years deprivation of liberty in a penal colony" for each defendant.

They are in jail because it is Putin's personal revenge" Alexei Navalny, Opposition leader "Considering the nature and degree of the danger posed by what was done, the defendants' correction is possible only through an actual punishment," she said. One man in the courtroom shouted "shame" at the sentencing, and there were chants and whistles from the band's supporters outside. Tolokonnikova's husband, Pyotr Verzilov, said: "Russia's image was quite scary even before [this]. What happened now is a clear sign that Russia is moving towards becoming more like China or North Korea." Opposition leader Alexei Navalny added: "They are in jail because it is Putin's personal revenge. This verdict was written by Vladimir Putin." The defendants' lawyer, Nikolai Polozov, said they would not appeal to President Putin for a pardon. However, there will be a legal appeal against the verdict. Analysis By Tom EsslemontBBC News Once the sentences were handed down, the United States and the European Union were quick to condemn them as "disproportionate". Certainly many feel that the initial protest by Pussy Riot was blasphemous, foolish and wrong.

But Russia's most outspoken critics say the trial took things to another extreme; it showed how the country was returning to the dark ages, said one. That must certainly be how the Pussy Riot band will see it. From their vantage point - a glass cage in the corner of a stifling Moscow courtroom, the press gathered round them - they may just have heard a tribute punk band start up outside on a third-floor balcony. Its tunes were soon halted by an angry-looking man. This was a brief distraction to those massing outside the courtroom, where chants of "freedom, freedom" competed with anti-Pussy Rioters shouting "shame on you, shame on you". It was, they said, one of the most anticipated, most divisive court cases in Russia's recent history. And aside from the colourful drama outside the courtroom, inside when the sentencing came, there were no surprises. Amnesty International said the ruling was a "bitter blow" for freedom of expression in Russia. EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton and the UK's Foreign Office criticised the severity of the sentences.

US state department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said: "We urge Russian authorities to review this case and ensure that the right to freedom of expression is upheld." 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. Associated Press news agency said a number of protesters had been arrested outside the court before the sentencing was announced, 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.

Media captionEx-world chess champion Garry Kasparov was among several people arrested outside the court in Moscow 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." Valentina Ivanova, a retired doctor, told Reuters: "What they did showed disrespect towards everything, and towards believers first of all." One protester outside court in Moscow simply shouted: "Let Pussy Riot and all their supporters burn in hell." Police hunt 'unidentified' Pussy Rioters Email a friend INVESTIGATORS have launched a fresh criminal probe against members of punk band Pussy Riot who remained free after an anti-Vladimir Putin stunt in Russia's top church. "The probe is currently ongoing, search activities are being conducted," a spokesman for Moscow police told AFP, three days after three members of the all-female band were jailed for two years by a court. He declined to provide further details. Five women in all pulled on brightly coloured balaclavas on February 21 and belted out an "anthem" in Moscow's Christ the Saviour Cathedral calling on the Virgin Mary to remove Russian strongman Putin.

The three put on trial were detained in March, while the other two remained free. During the trial, the prosection referred to them as "unidentified participants". It was not immediately clear whether the authorities' search was limited to just these two women or other members of the fluid female collective. Pyotr Verzilov, the husband of one of the jailed singers, told AFP earlier they were leading "normal lives." On Friday Maria Alyokhina, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and Yekaterina Samutsevich were found guilty of "hooliganism motivated by religious hatred" and handed two-year jail terms in a court ruling the West decried as "disproportionate" punishment. Earlier Monday their lawyer said they would not seek clemency from Mr Putin, who was elected president for a third term shortly after the cathedral stunt. "Our clients will not ask for a pardon," defence lawyer Nikolai Polozov told AFP, adding: "Literally this is what they said: 'Let them go to hell with their pardon'." Mr Polozov said however the defence team planned to appeal to a higher court as soon as they received a copy of the lengthy verdict.

Pussy Riot recently released a new song entitled "Putin is Lighting the Fires of the Revolution." Russian female punk band on trial - Photo 14 - Pictures - CBS News Russian female punk band on trial Members of the all-girl punk band Pussy Riot, Maria Alyokhina, left, Yekaterina Samutsevich, center, and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, sit in a glass-walled cage in Moscow after being convicted of hooliganism and sentenced to two years in prison, Aug. 17, 2012. Credit: AFP/Getty Images A demonstration by supporters of the jailed feminist punk band "Pussy Riot" takes place outside the Russian Embassy on August 17, 2012 in London, England. The three women who staged an anti-Kremlin protest in a church in February, were found guilty today of hooliganism motivated by religious hatred, and could face a three-year jail sentence. Supporters are gathering in several cities around the world today as a mark of solidarity.

Credit: Dan Kitwood Members of the all-girl punk band "Pussy Riot" sit in a glass-walled cage during a court hearing in Moscow on Agust 17, 2012. Credit: NATALIA KOLESNIKOVA/AFP/GettyImages This picture taken on July 20, 2012, shows members of the all-girl punk band "Pussy Riot" Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, center, Maria Alyokhina, right, and Yekaterina Samutsevich, left, behind bars during a court hearing in Moscow. On Aug. 17, a judge found the women guilty of hooliganism for staging a guerrilla performance denouncing President Vladimir Putin in Moscow's main cathedral. They were sentenced to two years in prison. The trial has attracted worldwide attention as an emblem of Russia's intolerance of dissent.

Credit: Natalia Kolesnikova/AFP/Getty Images Members of the all-girl punk band "Pussy Riot" Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, left, Maria Alyokhina, right, and Yekaterina Samutsevich, center, sit behind bars during a court hearing in Moscow on July 30, 2012. Credit: Andrey Smirnov/AFP/Getty Images Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, a member of female Russian punk band Pussy Riot, stands inside defendants cage in a Moscow court on April 19, 2012, during the hearings on the Pussy Riot case. Credit: Andrey Smirnov/AFP/Getty Images Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, a member of female Russian punk band Pussy Riot, sits inside a defendants cage in a Moscow court on July 4, 2012, during the hearings on the Pussy Riot case. Credit: Andrey Smirnov/AFP/Getty Images Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, a member of female Russian punk band Pussy Riot, sits inside a defendants cage in a Moscow court on July 4, 2012, during the hearings on the Pussy Riot case.

Credit: Andrey Smirnov/AFP/Getty Images Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, a member of female Russian punk band Pussy Riot, sits inside a defendants cage in a Moscow court, on July 4, 2012. Credit: Andrey Smirnov/AFP/Getty Images Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, a member of female Russian punk band Pussy Riot, sits inside a defendants cage in a Moscow court, on July 4, 2012. Credit: Andrey Smirnov/AFP/Getty Images A man writes on a wall dedicated to supporting the detained members of the Russian all-girl punk rock band Pussy Riot on June 18, 2012, in Prague. Credit: Michael Cizek/AFP/Getty Images Police officers escort Maria Alyokhina, right, a member of female punk band "Pussy Riot," into court in Moscow on July 20, 2012. Credit: Natalia Kolesnikova/AFP/Getty Images Police officers detain a supporter of female Russian punk band Pussy Riot outside the court in Moscow on April 19, 2012, before the hearings on the Pussy Riot case.

Credit: Andrey Smirnov/AFP/Getty Images A supporter of a female Russian punk band pickets the police headquarters in Moscow on March 8, 2012. Credit: Andrey Smirnov/AFP/Getty Images A man writes on a wall dedicated to supporting the detained members of the Russian all-girl punk rock band Pussy Riot on June 18, 2012, in Prague. Credit: Michael Cizek/AFP/Getty Images A Pussy Riot supporter holds a photo of two band members taken in court while he and others picket the police headquarters in Moscow on March 8, 2012. Credit: Andrey Smirnov/AFP/Getty Images One of the supporters of the female Russian punk band Pussy Riot holds a poster as he pickets outside a Moscow courthouse, on March 14, 2012, during the hearings on the women's arrests. Credit: Michael Cizek/AFP/Getty Images Pussy Riot supporters hold posters as they picket outside a Moscow courthouse, on March 14, 2012, during hearings on the women's arrests.

Credit: Andrey Smirnov/AFP/Getty Images A Pussy Riot supporter holds a poster as she pickets outside a Moscow courthouse, on March 14, 2012, during the hearings on the women's arrests. Credit: Michael Cizek/AFP/Getty Images A Czech demonstrator takes part in a protest against the imprisonment of members of the feminist punk band ''Pussy Riot,'' in front of the Russian embassy in Prague, on April 15, 2012. Credit: Michael Cizek/AFP/Getty Images Czech demonstrators stand with banners in front of the Russian embassy during protest against the imprisonment of members of the feminist punk band ''Pussy Riot,'' in Prague, April 15, 2012. Credit: Michael Cizek/AFP/Getty Images A Pussy Riot supporter holds a poster as he pickets outside a Moscow courthouse, on March 14, 2012, during the hearings on the women's arrests. Credit: Andrey Smirnov/AFP/Getty Images Czech demonstrators stand with banners in front of the Russian embassy during protest against the imprisonment of members of the feminist punk band ''Pussy Riot,'' in Prague on April 15, 2012.

Credit: Michael Cizek/AFP/Getty Images Czech demonstrators stand with banners in front of the Russian embassy during a protest against the imprisonment of members of the feminist punk band ''Pussy Riot,'' in Prague, April 15, 2012. Credit: Michael Cizek/AFP/Getty Images Vladimir Putin is scared of girls | The Daily Caller Vladimir Putin is scared of girls TOP 3326074 A Russian all-female punk band just got sentenced to two years in prison for protesting Putin. Sorry about the name of the band in this BBC News story , but it’s integral to the story: Three members of Russian punk band Pussy Riot have been jailed for two years after staging an anti-Vladimir Putin protest in a Moscow cathedral. Judge Marina Syrova convicted the women of hooliganism motivated by religious hatred, saying they had “crudely undermined social order”… 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 third term as president two weeks later. Their crime is blasphemy, alright. Against Putin.

So the big, rugged, frying-pan-bending, “check me out, ladies, with no shirt and 27% body fat,” enemy-assassinating, world-class tough guy is scared of a few girls with guitars? Pussy Riot, meet Pussy Who Should Diet. Nice baloney-boobs, Gramps. Glenn Reynolds called this one: I recommend that artists and musicians around the world make Putin-mockery a recurring theme. Suggestions that he has a small penis would be a bonus. Denouncing him as a big, scary dictator will make him happy. Saying that he’s scared of girls, not so much. And, you know, he obviously is. Just one quibble: Small penis? Why are we assuming Putin even has one? Here’s the performance that landed the young ladies in jail: Well, you know, I’m no music critic. The point is: Vladimir Putin is a genitally underwhelming coward who can’t handle being laughed at by women. Go ahead, ladies. Laugh at him. What’s he gonna do, throw you all in jail?

Punk band Pussy Riot found guilty - NY Daily News Punk band Pussy Riot found guilty, sentenced to two years in prison for anti-Putin protest in Moscow cathedral Punk band Pussy Riot found guilty email Members of the female punk band Pussy Riot, from left, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, Maria Alyokhina and Yekaterina Samutsevich sit in a glass-walled cage during a court hearing in Moscow on Friday. A Russian judge on Friday found three women guilty of hooliganism motivated by religious hatred for staging an anti-Kremlin protest on the altar of Moscow's main cathedral. (MAXIM SHEMETOV/REUTERS) NEW YORK DAILY NEWS Friday, August 17, 2012, 11:16 AM Pussy Riot supporters bared their claws from Moscow to Manhattan after a Russian judge slapped the punk rockers Friday with a two-year prison sentence for hooliganism. The three women were found guilty of staging a one-minute “protest prayer” at Moscow’s main Russian Orthodox cathedral, but fans said their real “crime” was defying autocratic Russian strongman Vladimir Putin and his lackeys.

“We are very outraged even though we kind of expected it,” said Xenia Grubstein, who organized a pro-Pussy Riot protest outside the Russian consulate in New York. “It doesn't make sense to arrest someone for singing and dancing. And to take them away, physically in jail, away from their children and family." Police arrested six demonstrators protesting the verdict Friday outside the Russian consulate in Manhattan. Lucas Jackson/Reuters New York Police Department officers arrest a woman demonstrating in solidarity with the Russian punk band Pussy Riot in front of the Russian Consulate in New York August 17, 2012. In Times Square, several dozens demonstrators — mostly Russian expats — donned the colorful balaclavas that the band wears in concerts to demonstrate their solidarity. “I consider myself a patriot but I deeply embarrassed to be Russian,” said Olga Golovanova, 24, of Bushwick, Brooklyn. “They are basically saying they are offended by 20-something girls who committed a hooligan crime ...

We will fight to get these girls out.” Mariela Lombard for New York Daily News Occupy supporters and other activists hold a rally in Times Square to show support on today's expected verdict in the Moscow trial of three members of the Russian feminist punk band Pussy Riot in Manhattan. In Moscow, hundreds of demonstrators gathered outside the courthouse shouted “Free Pussy Riot!” and “Putin is scum!” as Russian cops bashed them with batons. Former chess champ Garry Kasparov was reportedly beaten up by riot cops before he was carted off to prison in a police van. Demonstrations in support of the punk rockers erupted in 60 other cities around the world after the verdict was announced. REUTERS Members of the support group Bulgaria for Pussy Riot protest while holding signs as they appeal to people to show up in balaclavas and demand the release of the three women in front of the Russian Embassy in Sofia on Friday.

While human rights groups and pop stars ranging from Madonna to Sting spoke out in support of Pussy Riot, Russian judge Marina Syrova slammed the trio for uttering "offensive words" in February, when they took to the church's altar and sang "Mother of God, chase Putin out." Sitting in handcuffs, the girls showed absolutely no surprise through the drawn-out hearing. But broad smiles creased their faces when Syrova described how some churchgoers were offended by the band’s brightly colored outfits and “clothes (that) didn’t conform to church rules.” Sean Gallup/Getty Images In Berlin, German supporters of the band Pussy Riot protest outside the Russian Embassy on Friday. “Our imprisonment is a clear and distinct sign that the whole country's freedom is being taken away,” band member Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, 22, said in a letter posted on the Internet before she was sentenced. The girls — Tolokonnikova, Maria Alyokhina, 24, and Yekaterina Samutsevich, 30 — have already been behind bars for six months. Two of them are moms with young children.

— With Joe Kemp and News Wire Services csiemaszko@nydailynews.com Mikhail Voskresensky/Reuters A policeman chases a supporter of the female punk band "Pussy Riot" jailed members while climbing on a fence enclosing the Turkish embassy near a court building in Moscow, August 17, 2012. Russia’s female punk band protesters jailed for two years | Free Malaysia Today Russia’s female punk band protesters jailed for two years August 18, 2012 MOSCOW: Three women from the Russian punk band Pussy Riot were sentenced to two years in jail yesterday for staging a protest against President Vladimir Putin in a church, a ruling supporters described as his “personal revenge”. The group’s backers burst into chants of “Shame” outside the Moscow courthouse and said the case showed Putin was cracking down on dissent in his new six-year term as president. Dozens were detained by police when scuffles broke out. The United States and the European Union condemned the sentence as disproportionate and asked for it to be reviewed, although state prosecutors had demanded a three-year jail term and the maximum sentence possible was seven years.

But while the women have support abroad, where their case has been taken up by a long list of celebrities including Madonna, Paul McCartney and Sting, opinion polls show few Russians sympathize with them. “The girls’ actions were sacrilegious, blasphemous and broke the church’s rules,” Judge Marina Syrova told the court as she spent three hours reading the verdict while the women stood watching in handcuffs inside a glass courtroom cage. She declared all three guilty of hooliganism motivated by religious hatred, saying they had deliberately offended Russian Orthodox believers by storming the altar of Moscow’s main cathedral in February to belt out a “punk prayer” deriding Putin. Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, 22, Marina Alyokhina, 24, and Yekaterina Samutsevich, 30, giggled as the judge read out the sentences one by one, but portrayed themselves as victims of Soviet-style persecution during the trial that began on July 30. They have already been in jail for about five months, meaning they will serve another 19, and could be released if Putin were to pardon them.

The Orthodox Church hinted it would not oppose such a move by appealing, belatedly, for mercy. Pussy Riot took on two powerful state institutions at once when they burst into Moscow’s golden-domed Christ the Saviour Cathedral wearing bright ski masks, tights and short skirts to protest against Putin’s close ties with the Church. The judge said the three women had “committed an act of hooliganism, a gross violation of public order showing obvious disrespect for society.” She rejected their argument that they had no intention of offending Russian Orthodox believers. It became one of Russia’s most high-profile trials since the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991 and Putin’s critics said it put the 59-year-old Kremlin leader’s policies in the dock. Opponents depicted it as part of a crackdown by the ex-KGB spy against a protest movement that took off over the winter, attracting what witnesses said were crowds of up to 100,000 people in Moscow to oppose his return to power. “They are in jail because it is Putin’s personal revenge,” Alexei Navalny, one of the organizers of the protests, said outside the court.

“This verdict was written by Vladimir Putin.” A police source told Itar-Tass news agency 50 people had been detained near the court when scuffles broke out. Among them were Sergei Udaltsov, a leftist opposition leader, and Garry Kasparov, a Putin critic and former world chess champion. But there was no sign of the opposition taking to the streets in anger. Opposition leaders plan a small gathering in Moscow on Sunday, the anniversary of a failed coup shortly before the Soviet Union fell in 1991, but the next big anti-Putin rally is not planned until September 15. Putin’s spokesman did not immediately comment on the verdict but the president’s supporters said before the trial that he would have no influence on the court’s decision. Although Pussy Riot have never made a record or had a hit song, foreign singers have led the campaign for the trio’s release. Madonna performed in Moscow with “PUSSY RIOT” painted on her back and wearing a ski mask in solidarity. But a poll of Russians released by the independent Levada research group showed only 6 percent sympathized with the women and 51 percent found nothing good about them or felt irritation or hostility.

The rest could not say or were indifferent. Valentina Ivanova, 60, a retired doctor, said outside the courtroom: “What they did showed disrespect towards everything, and towards believers first of all.” Church calls for mercy Putin, who returned to the presidency for a third term on May 7 after a four-year spell as prime minister, had said the women did “nothing good” but should not be judged too harshly. The trio’s defense lawyers said they would appeal. The Church issued a statement condemning the women’s actions but urged the state to show mercy “within the framework of the law”. That appeared to signal that the Church would back a pardon or reduced sentence, although the women would be expected to admit guilt if they sought a pardon. US State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said Washington was concerned about the “disproportionate sentences … and the negative impact on freedom of expression in Russia”, and urged Russian authorities “to review this case”. EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said the sentence called into question Russia’s respect for the “obligations of fair, transparent, and independent legal process”.

In protests outside Russia in support of Pussy Riot, a bare-chested feminist activist took a chainsaw to a wooden cross bearing a figure of Christ in Kiev. In Bulgaria, sympathizers put Pussy Riot-style masks on statues at a Soviet Army monument. Opposition leaders say Putin will not ease up on opponents in his new term. Parliament has already rushed through laws increasing fines for protesters, tightening controls on the Internet, and imposing stricter rules on defamation. Gay rights suffered a blow in Moscow when an appeals court upheld a ruling rejecting applications from activists to hold a gay rights march each year for the next 100 years. Anti-gay activists later sued Madonna for US$10 million in St Petersburg, saying she insulted their feelings by speaking out for gay rights there last week. -Reuters

Question: What is the name of the all female Russian punk band that in 2012 were jailed for two Years for staging an anti Vladimir Putin protest in a Moscow Cathedral ?
Answer: PUSSY RIOT