MOSCOW -- Russia on Wednesday refused to free from pre-trial detention two alleged members of opposition punk rock group Pussy Riot who face up to seven years in jail for performing in a church.
A Moscow court rejected an appeal and ruled that two women, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and Maria Alekhina, must stay in detention until late April ahead of their trial for "hooliganism,” even though they have small children.
Outside the courtroom on Wednesday, police detained several demonstrators as supporters of the women held single-person pickets against the detentions, while opponents sprinkled them with holy water.
The radical all-female group sings raucous anthems against Vladimir Putin's regime in public places including the metro and Red Square. Its members wear brightly cultured balaclavas to conceal their faces and use nicknames.
On February 21, five members climbed onto the altar in Moscow's central Church of Christ the Savior, often visited by Russia's rulers, and attempted to shout out a song they called a "Punk Prayer" before being seized by guards.
The women all escaped, but police later detained four alleged members -- including one man. They charged the two women with hooliganism in an organized group, a criminal charge rarely applied to opposition protests.
The stunt has divided public opinion in Russia, where some 70 percent describe themselves as Orthodox Christian, with some calling for maximum punishment for the women, while others saying the charges are overly harsh.
Even Putin has weighed in on the debate, with his spokesman Dmitry Peskov saying the premier had a "negative" opinion of the group.
On Wednesday, members of pro-Kremlin youth group Nashi argued with supporters outside the courtroom and the group released a statement saying that Pussy Riot "exploited the religious feelings of fellow citizens."
"The vast majority of Orthodox believers unequivocally condemn these acts," Russian Orthodox Church spokesman Vsevolod Chaplin told AFP on Wednesday.
The head of the presidential council on human rights, Mikhail Fedotov, on Tuesday said however that the women's offence should be classed as non-criminal and punished with a maximum 15 days in police detention cells.
source: interaksyon.com
