You may or may not have seen our article regarding the topic of the Pussy Riot music video supporting activists who were wrongly imprisoned by the Russian Government. Now, however, it appears that Pussy Riot and their activism cost them a night in jail on July 30th which was the same day they were released for rushing the 2018 World Cup field (and rightly rushing it might I add). Today, August 1, Pussy Riot was released for their July 30th arrest, but this does not mean they are in safe waters, yet. As Pitchfork writes, the four members are due back for their trial soon, with a possible month of jail time looming over their heads.

Nadya Tolokonnikova of Pussy Riot has released a statement saying that they were arrested for “the organization and holding of public events without prior written notice.”

During their 2018 World Cup field rush, the four members, Nika Nikulshina, Olga Kuracheva, Olga Pakhtusova, and Petya Verzilov, clad themselves in old-school police uniforms to protests the political and prison system in Russia. This act led to a fifteen day prison sentence as well as a ban from Russian sports events for three years.

Since the heartbreaking election in which we elected a child into the seat of President of the United States, relations with Russia have been strained to say the least as we investigate them for collusion during the 2016 election among other things. It seems the Russian government is using people such as Pussy Riot in orer to prove something to thr world that they are powerful and that homefront problems are nothing to them. When, in fact, those stunts like the many performed by Pussy Riot are not only an outcry against their government but an outcry to us as we watch them fight for human rights that we only take for granted.

Photo Credit: Brett Padelford