Pussy Riot members detained in Moscow protest referencing Putin's potential 2036 term

On July 1, Alexander Sofeyev and Nika Nikulshina from the Russian art group Pussy Riot were taken into custody in Moscow's Red Square, along with two municipal deputies and four other activists. Their demonstration involved lying on the ground outside the Kremlin to form the number 2036, referencing constitutional amendments that could permit President Vladimir Putin to remain in office until that year. Footage on social media captured police using force during the arrests, including an officer striking a handcuffed protester's head against a bench. This protest occurred on the last day of voting for the constitutional changes, which the Russian Central Election Commission reported had garnered 73% approval by 3 p.m. Moscow time, six hours before polls closed. The referendum is mainly symbolic, as the amendments had already been approved by parliament. One amendment specifies that marriage is exclusively between a man and a woman. The Kremlin has yet to announce whether Putin will seek re-election in 2024 under the new provisions. This protest mirrors a 1991 demonstration by the art group E.T.I., which spelled out 'khui' (dick) in the same area to contest obscenity laws. Recently, Pyotr Verzilov, a founding member of Pussy Riot, was arrested in his Moscow apartment under anti-extremism laws linked to protests against alleged fraudulent local elections in July 2019.