Three members of the Russian female punk group Pussy Riot – see also an earlier post on News and Noise – are on trial on hooliganism charges. For transparency, the court will broadcast the hearing on the 30th of July live on the internet (Times Live).  At a closed hearing a motion is approved by state prosecutors to keep the girls in pretrial detention until Jan. 12, 2013. This is more than nine months after they were arrested (The Moscow Times). Experts, artists and musicians are openly showing their support for the band members.

by Charlie Crooijmans

A report written by Yury Kostanov of the Independent Judicial Expertise Council, released by the Presidential Council on the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights, refutes the term hooliganism.

The actions that Tolokonnikova, Samutsevich and Alekhina are incriminated of are certainly at least reproachable, but they do not constitute criminally prosecutable hooliganism (The Other Russia).

Last weekend, during concerts in Moscow, Anthony Kiedis (Red Hot Chili Peppers) appeared in a shirt with a ‘Pussy Riot’ logo. And Franz Ferdinand dedicated one of his songs to the jailed members of Pussy Riot. (The Guardian)

This song is dedicated to all of those musicians that end up in jail – for just saying what they think. This is for the girls in Pussy Riot…

Finnish jazz pianist Liro Rantala tweeted yesterday: Just cancelled a gig in Moscow. I’m boycotting Russia because #Pussyriot has been arrested, since they performed a song against Putin.

Others react a bit more radical like Russian artist Petr Pavlensky. He sewed his mouth together.

The trial shows an unhealthy situation of the country. Two months after the elections President Vladimir Putin changed his policy towards the protest movements. Demonstrators are risking a very high fine now, and the NGO’s are seen as foreign spies. The trial of the three women of Pussy Riot has some similarities with the trial of Chodorovski. Putin uses them as a scapegoat, because the people aren’t very fond of the punk band. They protested in a cathedral which is for most of the people a step too far. But now the trial shows Putin’s strategy of severe repression, 50% of the population is against the prosecution of the three women, according to Levada Centre, an independent pollster. (Reuters).

See for more information Free Nadezhda, Maria and Yekaterina! Global solidarity with Pussy Riot!