Pussy Riot Members Announce Human Rights Organization After Early Release
Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and Maria Alyokhina, members of the punk collective Pussy Riot, were released early from their two-year prison sentences at the end of 2013. Their incarceration followed a February 2012 protest performance at Moscow's Christ the Saviour Cathedral, which authorities charged as hooliganism. The Guardian reported that both artists remain committed to opposing Vladimir Putin's government, advocating for a more tolerant political system in Russia. They plan to establish a new organization focused on prisoner rights, motivated by experiences and testimony gathered from fellow inmates about severe conditions within the penal system.
Key facts
- Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and Maria Alyokhina are members of Pussy Riot
- They were released early from prison at the end of 2013
- They served two-year sentences for hooliganism
- Their protest occurred in February 2012 at Moscow's Christ the Saviour Cathedral
- They oppose Vladimir Putin's regime and seek more tolerant Russian leadership
- They plan to create a human rights organization for Russian prisoners
- The organization is inspired by help from fellow inmates
- Inmates provided information about harsh prison conditions to human rights observers
Entities
Artists
- Nadezhda Tolokonnikova
- Maria Alyokhina
Institutions
- Pussy Riot
- The Guardian
Locations
- Moscow
- Russia
- Christ the Saviour Cathedral