On Monday, a Russian court declared punk group Pussy Riot an “extremist organization.”
The decision made by the Tverskoy District Court of Moscow, in fact outlaws the group from activities in Russia and exposes everyone associated with the group to the risk of criminal prosecution.
The feminist protest group first gained notoriety in 2012 when its members staged provocative “punk prayer” against President Vladimir Putin from the pulpit of Russia's largest cathedral.
Today, members of the group remain part of the Russian opposition, largely working in exile.
In September, five people associated with Pussy Riot—Maria Alekhina, Taso Pletner, Olga Borisova, Diana Burkot and Alina Petrova—were sentenced to prison by a Russian court after being found guilty of spreading “false information” about the Russian military, news outlet Mediazona reported. Mediazona was founded by Alekhina together with another Pussy Riot member, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova.
The case stemmed from an anti-war music video produced by the group, as well as an art performance in Germany in which Pletner urinated on a portrait of Putin.
Alekhina received 13 years in prison, and Pletner – 11 years. Burkot, Petrova and Borisova received eight years in prison. All rejected the charges as politically motivated.
