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Yuri Kochetkov / EPA
Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, a member of the Pussy Riot punk group, is escorted Tuesday to Khamovnichesky district court for the next session of her trial in Moscow.
MOSCOW -- Prosecutors on Tuesday called for three-year sentences for the members of a feminist punk band who performed an anti-Vladimir Putin stunt in Moscow's main cathedral, ignoring demands by human rights groups that the three women be set free.
Prosecutor Alexander Nikiforov portrayed the request as lenient, saying it takes into account the fact that two of the defendants are young mothers and that they have good references.
The hooliganism charges the three women face can carry a sentence of up to 7 years in prison.
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.
Their case is part of a widening government crackdown on dissent that followed Putin's election in March and caused strong protests in Russia and abroad. Musicians including Madonna, the Who's Pete Townshend and Neil Tennant of the Pet Shop Boys have urged their release, and Amnesty International has called them prisoners of conscience.
The verdict is expected this week.
Divisive trial
The trial has sharply divided Russia. Some believers felt insulted by the act, while rights groups have declared the women prisoners of conscience.
Don't judge Pussy Riot too harshly, Putin says
Orthodox leaders have ignored calls by many believers to pardon the women and urge the court to dismiss the case.
The defendants have said their goal was to express their resentment over Russian Orthodox Church Patriarch Kirill's support for Putin's rule. But prosecutors have insisted throughout the trial that there were no political motives behind the performance.
"They set themselves off against the Orthodox world and sought to devalue traditions and dogmas that have been formed for the centuries," Nikiforov said Tuesday.
From March 2012: Anti-Putin activists pay high price, but refuse to back down
'Punk prayer'
Members of the band say they did not mean to hurt anyone's religious feelings when they performed the "punk prayer."
Larisa Pavlova, a lawyer for the church employees who were described as the injured party in the case told the court on Tuesday that she supports the sentencing recommendation.
More on this story from British broadcaster ITV News
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," Pavlova said.
Tolokonnikova chuckled as Pavlova mentioned in her speech that feminism in Russia is incompatible with Orthodox faith.
Three female punk rockers are put on trial in Russia after taking over the pulpit at an Orthodox cathedral and performing a controversial song criticizing President Putin. NBCNews.com's Dara Brown reports.
Pussy Riot lawyer Violetta Volkova voiced the band's complaint that the women had been deprived of sleep and food throughout the trial, describing it as "torture."
Russian lawyers say Pussy Riot women mistreated
"In this trial, authorities, not the girls, have dealt a crushing blow on the Russian Orthodox Church," Volkova said. "Time has turned back — back to the Middle Ages."
The trial has sharply divided Russia. Some believers felt insulted by the act, while rights groups have declared the women prisoners of conscience.
PhotoBlog: Punk rockers Pussy Riot in court over anti-Putin protest
Orthodox leaders have ignored calls by many believers to pardon the women and urge the court to dismiss the case.
Lawyer: Disproportionate charges
Mark Feygin, a lawyer for the band, told the court that the charges the women are facing are disproportionate to what they have done:
"Many of the things they have done were clumsy and too shocking, but there are no grounds for criminal prosecution here," he told the court.
More Russia coverage from NBCNews.com
Feygin said that the guilty verdict would "break a bond between the government and people for good" and that "society will never forgive the state for persecuting the innocent."
Russian veteran rights activist Lyudmila Alexeyeva told the Interfax news agency that a jail sentence for Pussy Riot would be "a disgrace for Russia and the Orthodox Church."
Amnesty International has said it considers the three women to be prisoners of conscience "detained solely for the peaceful expression of their beliefs."
Complete international coverage on NBCNews.com
Archdeacon Andrei Kurayev, an influential Orthodox blogger and Professor of the Moscow Theological Academy, warned in an interview with the RIA Novosti news agency on Tuesday that jail time for Pussy Riot would "turn them into martyrs" and would only feed hostility toward the church.
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Leave a Comment:
Plenty of time in Jail to come up with new material.
We continue to be impressed with everything we have here in the United States and yet we foolishly give those freedoms to those who DO NOT EARN IT.
Maybe JUST Maybe a little Russian JUSTICE would work here in the GOOD OLE' USA
"we foolishly give those freedoms to those who DO NOT EARN IT."
King for the day .... eh ?
What exactly does one need to do to "earn" such freedoms, your highness? Would you deny to others the freedoms that allow you to post your opinions here without recourse? Only a conservative would display such arrogance and not be embarrassed. Maybe you should take your ass to Russia if you prize their justice so much.
3 years in prison for a peaceful protest in which nothing was damaged and no one was harmed?
Utterly ridiculous.
We in the US take freedom of speech for granted. Pretty chilling what can happen when it doesn't exist
I agree. The absence of damage, injury and death should be given more weight here.
It IS rediciulous, but it also IS Russia we are talking about.....
And we DO take our rights for granted here.
Hummmmmmmmmmmmm ... never seen a "Pusy Riot!" could be entertaining! .. lol
Except you forget Russia is not democratic.
It only has the appearance of democracy.
That's what we need here some decent penalties for trespassing, vandalism etc. Maybe we should bring in caning. If you want to protest do it outside not in a place of worship. What's worse is that it was crappy punk music! Now if it was metal, I could see cutting them some slack.
How many votes did Bush win by in 2000? Negative 500,000+ votes was it? Now tell me again how Russia is not democratic.
Woah woah woah, give Russia some credit here... Their government is not entirely at fault here. If you read the story you will clearly see a big part of the problem is the power that religion holds over there and the fact that the church has a lot of support.
"Tolokonnikova chuckled as Pavlova mentioned in her speech that feminism in Russia is incompatible with Orthodox faith." - I loled a little for ya. The church will probably stitch your mouth shut.
And if you think things aren't trending in that same direction in regards to our "rights" here, you're incredibly naive..
The girls wanted to stir up the dust. So they did and maybe more than they bargained for.
Wake up America, there are laws on the books to put you away for a long time if you protest at the wrong place, at the wrong time.
Look at "Federal Restricted Buildings and Grounds Improvement Act" signed into law in March while you were comatose over March Madness.
Actually the law has been around since 2006, modified a little in 2011. It basically states that White House, VP's house, and special events of national significance can be designated as off limits to people who intend to enter or remain without lawful authority. So what is your problem with it? This law is not even close to what was done to those women in Russia. Considering the number of whacko's out there who seem to think they can shoot up any place they want, you would rather these places have open unrestricted access?
Representative Giffords comes to mind...
Welcome to Russia, where the US Constitution has not value.
If you want US Rights then you need to be a US Citizen and live within the confines of the US territory.
Outside the US, your rights are not honored and you have no freedoms except what the government in your locale authorizes.
Well no duh.
No value. Local. Derp.
cut and past journalism.. you get to read the same thing over and over..
did they layoff the editors?
Most amusing. If Russia left them alone but made sure they got publicized, they would be the laughingstock of Russia. Nope, crack down on them and they are "Martyrs to Art".
As in the US, little pipsqueaks chirping in the corner are just sad. Glorifying them with attention is just what they wanted, and Russia fell for it. Occupy...are you listening? You bore the US now with your idiot antics, but there might be some publicity for you in Russia. Before you go, google "Siberia".
At least they managed to keep church interesting.
You can call it Bob, you can call it Bill but in reality the name "Soviet Russia" still applies. Sad...
Back,.... back,..... back in the USSR.
I like the old USSR better. Then if you were too religious, you got sent to a gulag. It was a shame to see the church regain power and the religious become publically visible again.
O jeez that's disturbing to prosecute someone for their religion be it atheism or whatever. Hope you never come to America arsenic. You would be happy in China i bet.
The fact that they did no damage and didn't injure or kill anybody should be given more weight here.
It was, they didn't get the full seven years, LOL.
What should really be given more weight here is the fact that no crime has been committed.
It is interesting the Orthodox Church has been asked to say something that could help these girls but they say ntohing. This is the CHUCH OF CHRIST! They will let 3 girls go to prison for playing a punk rock sond inside a church, NOT killing anyone, NOT stealing anything, NOT committing any crime that hurt anyone, but playing a punk rock song. So tell me, WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CHRISTIANITY AND ISLAM? I can't tell. If you say look at the radicals who preach death to the infidels, I say take a look back at the Inquistion, the Crusades, and the Reformation. How many people did the Christian churh imprison, torture, or kill? When they ran our of soldiers, they sent children to fight and they got slaughtered. So, what is the difference? Not much. I have NO issues with God, or Allah, or Jesus, or whatever you want to call him or her. I DESPISE ORGANIZED RELIGION fot its lack of courage and inclusion and its policies and edicts that cause as much pain and heartached as it might create through some of the good people and some of the good deeds it does. SAY SOMETHING NOW, MEN OF THE CLOTH! Do you remember Pontious Pilate when he asked the crowd which prisoner would go, Jesus or the other one. HE COULD HAVE SAID JESUS but he had no guts and the crowd was just like those in Russia who want 3 innocent poeple to go to jail for nothing.
Well put Bill!
What's in a name? That which we call a rose, by any other name would smell as sweet.
Or in this case, that which we call Russia, by any other name would still be a totalitarian soviet state that smells like ****
Did the iron curtain fall?
The U.S. government has been absolutely gutless in addressing this issue so far. Where in the world are Obama and Clinton when it comes to admonishing Russia for this insane abuse of freedom of speech. The jail time that they have served already is far more punishment than they ever should have even faced for their acts. The fact that the Orthodox church is supporting these charges, and penalties is even worse. It goes to show how pathetically hyopcritical churches can be, totally contrary to the written word.
Don't be surprised when Russia starts attempting to take back all the states that have claimed independent sovereignty since the Soviet break-up.
We only admonish small, weak states, not those with any size or power.
Russia is right up there on the same par scale as scum sucking china is when it comes to treating its people fairly and decently.
Russsia has now officially earned the place of 2nd most scum bag country on this earth, right up there next to murdering, repressive, woman and child killing china, who proudly wears this title.
I think there is a lesson to be learned here...at least they aren't imprisoning children as well. Not to mention the fact that at least they will have a trial. And the church isn't telling lies to cover molesters, or siding with the rich, and preying on superstition in order to manipulate the poor. Nor The church doesn't seem to be going to far as to condone sexual deviation, false witness, and theft as the work of Christ to promote bigotry and hate crimes...lessons to be learned.
“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:32)
Madonna should join them.
So just how horrible is mean ol white christian america? Don't worry ,we'll be a minority soon and you can have all the atheism and "flava" you want
"It's only Rock and Roll" All the best punk bands go through their spate of jail time
One must accept the fact that Patriarch Kirill and Putin are 'in each others pockets'. Kirill will not step further into this issue and ask that the charges be dismissed. Realize this also, Putin isn't the only former KGB officer still floating around. The Patriarch and most senior (elderly) members of the Episcopate were embedded into the KGB during the years of Soviet persecution of the Church in Russia.
Russia isn't America, and Russian Orthodoxy isn't 'liberal' Christianity. The women were wrong to use a Church for their antics.
I think they were wrong, too. But not criminally wrong. Not three years in jail wrong. Not pretrial detention wrong.
Or, maybe they were right. If the Patriarch can make political statements, why not everyone?
how unbelievably HYSTERICAL! What DARK AGE century are we now in?
Clearly some wooly thinking in the Russian Orthodix church. If the girls end up in jail, will they try and lock up the protestors? And Russian PR will be so low that they will be bombarded with jokes and satire.
Putin will *really* like being ridiculed for bullying women...
The "Christians" are at it again, persecute everyone they don't like, its what the "Bible" tells you to do. Gads, I'll bet even Putin thinks they are nuts.
Is that lady police officer in the picture wearing a Russian made bullet proof vest?