Free Pussy Riot – Now more than ever!

Statement from the Global Young Greens

on the verdict of guilty in the case of Pussy Riot

The Global Young Greens condemn the verdict of guilty in the case of Pussy Riot delivered on 17 August 2012 by a Moscow Court.

It is unacceptable that the right to free speech has been undermined by the judiciary in Russia. We consider the verdict of guilty as a heavy-handed act of political oppression imposed to discourage free thought and speech in Russia. It is notable and commendable that the people in Russia have reacted strongly to this political repression with the ratings for President Putin falling from 60 to 48 percent.

In March 2012 three members of the Russian feminist punk-rock collective Pussy Riot were arrested and charged with “hooliganism” and inciting “religious hatred” due to their performance of an anti-Putin protest song in Russia’s Cathedral of Christ the Saviour last February.

Their song “Virgin Mary, Put Putin Away” asked the “Theotokos” (Virgin Mary) to “become a feminist” and “put Putin away”. It criticizes the repression of dissent in Russia and the church’s support for Vladimir Putin. The Russian Patriarch, Kirill I of Moscow, is described as someone who believes in Putin rather than in God.

Yesterday, the 17th August 2012, the Moscow court handed down a sentence of two years imprisonment. The decision condones the unholy alliance between church and state in Russia.

The defense announced that they would challenge the verdict.

The Global Young Greens explicitly support Pussy Riot in their fight against the repressive Russian system. We stand in solidarity with the band and appreciate the international protests against the verdict of guilty that have taken place all over the globe. Our thoughts are particularly with the sentenced band members as well as their families and friends.

Contact details:

Sarah Benke

Steering Committee Global Young Greens

sarahb@globalyounggreens.org

picture: Игорь Мухин / license: CC-BY-SA-3.0; Released under the GNU Free Documentation License