A judge in the Moscow court hearing Pussy Riot’s case has let free one of the convicted band members. The band is currently appealing against their jail sentence. The free woman, Yekaterina Samutsevich is age 30 and her two-year jail sentence has been suspended. Maria Alyokhina, 24, and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, 22, are still expected to serve the rest of their terms in a Russian prison colony.
Pussy Riot has been a prominent figure in popular culture this year. The band were arrested earlier this year for staging a “punk prayer” in Moscow’s cathedral Christ the Saviour. Later in August, they were convicted of “hooliganism incited by religious hatred.” Samutsevich’s term was suspended because guards had ejected her off the premises before she could actually start her guitar.
Alyokhina has promised that they “won’t stay silent.” Alyokhina and Tolokonnikova read their final statements to the courts. Tolokonnikova remains that the band’s protest was political, not religious.
Pussy Riot’s defense lawyer, Mark Feigin, said that the women’s appeal will continue.
Read more about this story at Pitchfork.
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