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Natalia Kolesnikova / AFP - Getty Images
Members of the all-girl punk band Pussy Riot: Yekaterina Samutsevich, Maria Alyokhina and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova sit in a glass-walled cage in a court in Moscow, on Oct. 10, 2012.
Two members of the Russian punk group Pussy Riot convicted of protesting against President Vladimir Putin in a cathedral have been sent to prisons far from Moscow despite requesting to serve out their terms in the capital, a lawyer said on Monday.
Maria Alyokhina, 24, and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, 22, were convicted of "hooliganism motivated by religious hatred" in August and sentenced to two years in jail, a punishment that many in the West said was too harsh.
Their stunt — bursting into Moscow's main Russian Orthodox Cathedral to urge the Virgin Mary to rid Russia of Putin — infuriated the church and many Russians. But Kremlin critics said their trial was part of a crackdown on dissent orchestrated by Putin, who began a six-year presidential term in May.
The two women lost their appeals on Oct. 10.
The women's lawyers said they had tried to argue they should be allowed to remain in jail in Moscow, saying it would have permitted them to be closer to their small children. They had also cited health and safety concerns at far-flung penal colonies.
"They have been sent away," one of their lawyers, Mark Feigin, told Reuters, saying he did not know where the women had been taken. By law, relatives must be informed once a convict arrives at a prison, but the trip can take days.
'We are not finished,' says freed Pussy Riot member
There is a women's prison about 60 miles from Moscow, but most are much farther away.
Former collaborators in a street-art group said on Twitter that Tolokonnikova had been sent to Mordovia, about 300 miles east of Moscow, and Alyokhina to the Perm region, near the Ural Mountains, about 700 miles east of the capital. That was not confirmed.
The duo had been held in a Moscow detention center since their arrests in March. Western governments and musicians such as Madonna had said their sentences were disproportionate, but Putin voiced support for the terms, saying the state must protect the feelings of the faithful.
Russian court sentences Pussy Riot rockers to 2 years in prison
The dominant Russian Orthodox Church has cast the punk group's protest as part of a concerted attack against the church and Russian traditions.
Russian Orthodox Church to Pussy Riot punk band: Repent before appeal
A third convicted member of Pussy Riot, Yekaterina Samutsevich, was released on appeal when a court suspended her sentence after her lawyer argued that she had been pulled away from the cathedral's altar before the protest song began.
According to The Moscow Times, Samutsevich has taken her case to the European Court of Human Rights, accusing Russia of violating her right to freedom of speech and detaining her illegally.
"The violations were very serious and very evident," Samutsevich said in an interview Friday, according to The Moscow Times. "I don’t like the fact that they did not acquit me and the other girls … and I want to challenge that before the European court. Sadly, the Russian courts have not shown objectivity or fairness." Samutsevich described the conditions of her detention, saying she was deprived of food and sleep for hours, The Moscow Times reported.
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Russia offers absolutely NO freedom of Speech, RELIGION or POLITICAL BELIEFS. If you don't like it, you can (and will) be sent off to the gulag to reflect on your reluctance to accept the Kremlin's all-powerful and pervasive 'guidance'. Vladimir Putin is still the type of person who believes the world is out to start a war with Russia -- except for North Korea, Iran and Venezuela. Just because he's paranoid does not mean the world isn't actually out to get him.
To all the Socialist Loving OWS friends out there, this is exactly the government and system you are fighting and protesting so strongly to get, have a good close look. Keep it up and soon you may get what you wish for, unfortunately it will be more than just the pussy that gets taken away...
The US is guilty of crimes against it's citizens as well. Look at the new detention for any length of time
WITHOUT TRIAL. Yes, folks. That's our not so new law. At least these girls were tried.
There are some teabags I hope go to prison for good !!!
I offer no freedom of speech either if you bust up into my house and start protesting the government, you'd probably be leaving in handcuffs too if not a body bag. Freedom of speech is when you go around protesting stuff in public, not trespassing into the middle of a church service to protest the church and beliefs of those in attendance. Here in the U.S. we call that a hate crime just like we would if some KKK people burned a cross in the middle of a predominantly black church.
Are you trying to justify the lack of freedoms in Russia compared to the US? I agree with you in that freedom of speech is for public debate, not private. But The Chruch in Russia has, by necessity, survived by following Communist guidelines in order to survive. Did you see the bearded Rabbi try to kiss Putin's hand? He nearly dislocated his shoulder in getting his hand away from the priest's mouth.
When we try to rationalize what we see in other parts of the world we forget that they are not us in any way other that a possible blood type. History, Culture, language, religion and so on are all different. Simple phrases or slang can become an insult that might get you killed in another part of the world.
As a "Hate Crime" the definition of that has changed with Barry his AG so our culture is changing to oppress selective groups.
Lazarus
Anilof- That is NOT the definition of a hate crime. That is trespass, you more on.
There was no church service when the girls did their thing. The church was empty, except for some people who work there.
The church is open to the public. Anyone can go in. These girls said a prayer. A punk prayer, whatever that is. Against Putin. That was their crime. Open your eyes and see what is happening in Russia. You don't need to go into a church to be thrown in jail. All you have to do is be against Mr. Putin.
Russia is the land on No Dissent.
Was the Church not Public or was it by invitation or membership only? Be it in bad taste it, the act, harmed no one personally and was brief. Surly deserved some punishment but 2 years in a gulag is a little Vindictive Hate by the State. Hate crime against the protesters. Guess it takes people like these protesters to stand up for the less brave. Hope they are free soon and come to no real harm. IMHO
How's that youthful rebellion working out for you? Enjoy your time, ladies! You deserve every second of it.
Anilof: Well said!
No, they do not deserve to be in jail for 2 years. Of course not.
The head of the Russian church, Patriarch Kirill, openly supported Putin. So, if the head of the church can support a politician, why can't the people in the church also express a political opinion?
Of course, if these girls had gone into the church and said, 'we love Putin', they would not have been arrested.
the chick on the right is hot
As bad as this punishment for Pussy Riot is, they should be very glad they were not in a Muslim state like Pakistan, Iran, Turkey, or Afghanistan or or or whichever. They would have been at the very least, beheaded, burned, shot, raped multiple times by a horney bunch of reprobates, stoned or any number of other biblical type punishments as the crowd cheered with delight as they looked on at the show of good faith.
I guess there are upsides to almost everything if you look long enough for it. These girls were punished to the extreme by American standards especially when you think of how ridiculous our legal punishment is so liberal and caring for the criminals. Take the shooter in Colorado for example. We all know without a shadow of a doubt that he was the person who murdered these innocent people, but by our liberal standards we feel the need to go through an expensive trial, multiple reviews and appeals, and after 10 years and emotions have had time to die along with the memories of the victims, he will at worst go to death row where he will live another 25 years.
I have been going to the news sites for various nations around the world to see what people think of us and basically we are as funny to them as I sometimes think we truly are. Canadian Writers are posting news stories about how America needs more gun control, not criminal control mind you, but gun control. They are posting this trash on news sites for Muslim countries where they use AKs and RPGs at the ripe old age of 8 or 9 as they look on as the radical females who dare to show their faces or wear makeup are beheaded in the town square. Gotta love those Canadians. I love one news story on there, "Another Female, Foreign Journalist was raped by an angry crowd". The Canadians did forget to mention the recent episode in Canada where a shooter also used a handgun to shoot people. I guess that story is "need to know".
Here in America the Pussy Riot would be offered a recording deal and a full SPREAD in Penthouse. I can see the message they were trying to make, I think. The fact they went to an Orthodox church and acted out was a comment about religion in a corrupt, communist/socialist state where personal freedom is not allowed. Madonna and Gagga needs to have a cross country tour of the Eastern block countries to shake them up a bit.
What do you think?
Lazarus
Disrespect for religion and religious beliefs. I bet nobody will do this again in Russia. It is a strong message that was sent by the Russian government.
These people are used to their family and friends being dissappeared and possbly never seen again. Siberia was a vacaion spot for the lucky survivors.
Not unless you are crazy. Who wants to go to jail?