Pussy Riot Trial Goes Global

The trial of three members of female punk band Pussy Riot began in Moscow July 30 but much of the global media would have it that Vladimir Putin’s crackdown on dissent is also in the dock.

The proceedings could have been seen worldwide until the prosecutor suggested that a live stream on the court’s website should be shut down.

Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, 22, Maria Alyokhina, 24, and Ekaterina Samutsevich, 29, have been held in jail since February, when they stormed the altar of Moscow’s Christ the Saviour Cathedral and staged a “punk prayer” to the Virgin Mary to “Throw Putin Out!”

The women have pleaded not guilty to hooliganism motivated by religious hatred, a charge that could see them jailed for seven years, although they have conceded that they may have made an ethical mistake.

The performers also said the protest marked the launch of a broader repressive campaign.

“I am taking it as the start of a repressive authoritarian campaign which aims to hamper the public’s political activity and build a sense of fear among political activists,” Samutsevich said in a statement to the court.

Much of the international news media is reporting how much support is behind the Pussy Rioters and how the trial is casting a spotlight on how Russia’s president deals with dissenting voices.

Amnesty International and other human rights organisations claim the three women are prisoners of conscience “detained solely for the peaceful expression of their beliefs.”

The prosecution takes a sterner view and says the nine people who were inside the cathedral during the protest were mortally insulted and now “feared for their health and safety,” leading to his suggestion that the live stream should be shut down. Judge Marina Syrova agreed.

After hearing the statements from each of the Pussy Riot members, the rest of the first day of the trial was taken up by evidence from three witnesses for the prosecution, two members of the cathedral’s staff and a worshipper who’d been visiting.

The witnesses accused the girls of “satanic dances” that had caused them pain and heartache.

The defense sought clarification if that was a figure of speech but reports say that the judge rejected most questions put forward by the defense.

The trial was set to resume July 31 when 16 more prosecution witnesses were called to give evidence.