Feminist punks facing jail as Russia ignores freedom calls

The hooliganism charges the three women face carry a sentence of as long as seven years in prison.

Prosecutor Alexander Nikiforov said in court three years would take into account the fact two of the defendants are young mothers.

The three women – Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, 23; Maria Alekhina, 24; and Yekaterina Samutsevich, 29 – have been in custody for five months following the February stunt, in which they took over a church pulpit in Christ the Savior cathedral for less than a minute, singing, high-kicking and dancing.

Members of the band say they did not mean to hurt anyone’s religious feelings when they performed a “punk prayer” in Christ the Saviour cathedral in February against Mr Putin’s return to the Russian presidency and the support of Russian Orthodox Church Patriarch Kirill’s for Putin’s rule.

Their case is part of a widening government crackdown on dissent that followed Mr Putin’s election in March and caused strong protests in Russia and abroad.

“They set themselves off against the Orthodox world and sought to devalue traditions and dogmas that have been formed for the centuries,” the prosecutor said.

Larisa Pavlova, a lawyer for the church employees who were described as the injured party, told the court she supports the three-year-sentence for the band, Pussy Riot.

Ms Pavlova said most hooliganism in Russia is committed when people are drunk and they often regret what they have done - but the defendants “thoroughly planned, rehearsed (their performance) and were fully aware of what they were doing.”

“And they had the audacity to say in court that they did the right thing, that it’s OK and that they’re ready to keep on doing such things,” she said.

Ms Pavolova also told the court that feminism in Russia is incompatible with Orthodox faith,

The trial has divided Russia. Some believers felt insulted, while rights groups have declared the women prisoners of conscience. Defense lawyers and an influential Russian Orthodox cleric have warned that jail sentences for the women could backfire by severing trust between ordinary Russians and the country’s institutions

Orthodox leaders have, however, ignored calls by many Orthodox believers to pardon the women and urge the court to dismiss the case.