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Legal
Pussy Riot member denied parole
By Andy Malt | Published on Tuesday 28 May 2013
Pussy Riot’s Maria Alyokhina was denied parole last week, a month after bandmate Nadezhda Tolokonnikova was also refused the same. A Russian court said that Alyokhina, who has been on hunger strike, should not be released as she has disobeyed prison authorities and failed to repent for her crime.
As previously reported, three members of the political band were sentenced to two years in jail last August, after being found guilty of ‘hooliganism motivated by religious hatred’ for performing a protest song in a Moscow cathedral earlier in year. One of the three, Yekaterina Samutsevich, was given a suspended sentence on appeal, but Alyokhina and Tolokonnikova were sent to tough prison camps.
Prior to last week’s court hearing, Paul McCartney called on Russian officials to release the two women, saying in a letter: “My personal belief is that further incarceration for Maria will be harmful for her and the situation as a whole, which, of course, is being watched by people all over the world. In the great tradition of fair-mindedness which the Russian people (many of whom are my friends) are famous for, I believe that you granting this request would send a very positive message to all the people who have followed this case”.
The two performers also received support from Peter Gabriel as they fought for parole, though neither musician’s pleas seemingly had any effect.
