Russia sentences Pussy Riot members in absentia to jail for anti-war messages
Pussy Riot member says ‘Ukraine must win’ after being handed jail term
- Five members of the feminist punk group Pussy Riot have been sentenced in absentia to prison in Russia.
- Moscow’s Basmanny District Court reportedly handed down jail terms ranging from eight to 13 years to Maria Alyokhina, Taso Pletner, Olga Borisova, Diana Burkot and Alina Petrova.
- The charges included spreading “false information” about the Russian army in a 2022 music video and one member urinating on a portrait of President Vladimir Putin.
- All five members rejected the charges, saying they were politically motivated and linked to their criticism of the war in Ukraine.
- In a statement given to Rolling Stone, Burkot said: “I continue to believe: Ukraine must win, and Putin must face trial in The Hague.”