Three Members of Pussy Riot Have Been Briefly Sentenced to Prison For World Cup Protest

Russian feminist punk collective Pussy Riot has made headlines yet again, as four members of the group rushed the field during the World Cup final between France and Croatia to protest Russia’s prison and political systems. As reported by Pitchfork, Veronica “Nika” Nikulshina, Olga Kuracheva, Olga Pakhtusova, and Petya Verzilov all took to the soccer field during the second half of the World Cup final dressed in police uniforms. The disruptions lasted for about 25 seconds before they were forcibly removed from the arena.

Immediately after the disruption, Pussy Riot claimed responsibility on social media, pointing out the injustices that exist in Russia and the fact that there is no rule of law as well as issuing a list of demands from the Russian government. The four members have been sentenced to fifteen days in Russian jail, and they are prohibited from attending sporting events for three years.

This is not the first time that Pussy Riot has staged headline-grabbing protests, as members of the group were detained last year in Siberia after protesting against bogus charges against Ukrainian filmmaker Oleg Sentsov, who is currently serving 20 year sentence in Russian prison. Pussy Riot is a global protest force as well, showing up last year at Trump Tower to protest the imprisonment of Sentsov.

Pussy Riot has made their stance on police brutality in Russia very clear this year with the release of the music video for the song “Bad Apples,” as well as protest song released on the same day as the Russian presidential election, the scathing “Elections.” The group remains one of the top draws in the underground punk/performance art scene, and they have become known for their compelling live shows, which are a blend of punk rock and performance art pieces.

Pussy Riot emerged into global consciousness back in 2012, when three members were imprisoned in Russia for staging acts of political hooliganism against the Russian church by staging a performance in a church in Moscow back in 2012. Despite calls from the Russian prime minister to release them, two of the Pussy Riot members ended up spending 21 months in jail before an amnesty bill was passed.

You can watch a video of Pussy Riot taking responsibility for the protests in the player below.

Photo credit: Brett Padelford