A Russian court on Monday, December 15, declared the feminist punk band Pussy Riot an "extremist organization." This decision, handed down by Moscow's Tverskoy District Court, effectively bans the group's activities in Russia and threatens criminal prosecution for anyone associated with the collective. This was reported by the Associated Press, writes UNN.
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Pussy Riot gained worldwide fame in 2012 after performing a provocative "punk prayer" against dictator Vladimir Putin in Moscow's main cathedral. Today, most members of the group continue their opposition activities, mainly in exile.
The decision to recognize the organization as extremist was made against the backdrop of increased repression against the group's members. In September, five people associated with Pussy Riot – Maria Alyokhina, Taso Pletner, Olga Borisova, Diana Burkot, and Alina Petrova – were sentenced to long prison terms for spreading "false information" about the Russian military.
This case was related to an anti-war music video and an art performance in Germany, during which Pletner urinated on a portrait of Putin. Alyokhina received 13 years in prison, Pletner – 11 years, and Burkot, Petrova, and Borisova – eight years each. All those convicted rejected the charges, calling them politically motivated.