The group consisted of around a dozen performers and about 15 people who handled the technical work of shooting and editing videos that were posted on the Internet. Its name, consisting of two English-language words written in the Latin alphabet, usually appears that way in the Russian press, though it is sometimes transliterated into Cyrillic as "Пусси Райот". Pussy Riot is a collective formed in late 2011 in response to national politics in Russia. 10.6 Presence at the Sochi Winter Olympics.10.5 Amnesty International concert and membership controversy.10 Subsequent court cases and other events.9.7 Words Will Break Cement: The Passion of Pussy Riot.9.6 Pussy Riot! A Punk Prayer for Freedom.6.4 "Death to Prison, Freedom to Protests".In describing the video, Rolling Stone magazine noted that "jaunty, carefree music contrasts with the brutal events depicted on screen." Speaking as much to western European and North American audiences as to Russian ones, Pussy Riot anticipated Donald Trump's victory two weeks before the outcome of the 2016 United States presidential election was declared and released "Make America Great Again", depicting a dystopian world where President Trump enforced his values through beatings, shaming, and branding by stormtroopers. On March 6, 2014, Tolokonnikova and Alyokhina were assaulted and sprayed with green dye by local youths in Nizhny Novgorod.
However, both were among the group that performed as Pussy Riot during the Winter Olympics in Sochi, where group members were attacked with whips and pepper spray by Cossacks employed as security guards. In February 2014, a statement was made anonymously on behalf of some Pussy Riot members that Alyokhina and Tolokonnikova were no longer members. Having served 21 months, Tolokonnikova and Alyokhina were released on December 23, 2013, after the State Duma approved an amnesty. Public opinion in Russia was generally less sympathetic towards the band members. The case was taken up by human rights groups, including Amnesty International, which designated the women as prisoners of conscience, and by a number of prominent entertainers.
FREE GAY PORN VIDEO IN JAIL TRIAL
The trial and sentence attracted considerable attention and criticism, particularly in the West. The sentences of the other two women were upheld. On October 10, following an appeal, Samutsevich was freed on probation and her sentence suspended. On August 17, 2012, Alyokhina, Samutsevich and Tolokonnikova were all convicted of "hooliganism motivated by religious hatred" and each sentenced to two years' imprisonment.
Denied bail, the three were held in custody until their trial began in late July. A third member, Yekaterina Samutsevich, was arrested on March 16. On March 3, 2012, two of the group's members, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and Maria Alyokhina, were arrested and charged with hooliganism. The women said their protest was directed at the Orthodox Church leaders' support for Putin during his election campaign. The group's actions were condemned as sacrilegious by the Orthodox clergy and eventually stopped by church security officials. The group gained global notoriety when five members of the group staged a performance inside Moscow's Cathedral of Christ the Saviour on February 21, 2012. The group's lyrical themes included feminism, LGBT rights, opposition to Russian President Vladimir Putin and his policies, and Putin's links to the leadership of the Russian Orthodox Church. These performances were filmed as music videos and posted on the internet. The group staged unauthorized, provocative guerrilla gigs in public places. Founded in August 2011, it has had a membership of approximately 11 women. Pussy Riot is a Russian feminist protest and performance art group based in Moscow that became popular for its provocative punk rock music which later turned into a more accessible style.