The Global Rock and Roll Community Must Step Up In Support of Pussy Riot: Or: Vladimir Can Beat Hillary and Barack but Not Madonna and Yoko

The Moscow prosecutor has demanded three years for the three members of the Pussy Riot feminist punk rock band. They have been in prison since March after performing a protest song in Christ the Savior Cathedral, appealing to the Virgin Mary to “throw Putin out.”

The prosecutor argues that only prison can “correct” the unpardonable crime of religious hatred of the accused.

The prosecutor charged that the girls “defamed centuries-old Russian orthodox traditions…They deeply insulted and demeaned the feelings of believers. The words that they shrieked out reviled God.”  The prosecutor asked the court to weigh “the degree of social danger of the crime” (Note: the exact same language was used during Stalin’s terror).  He cited as an aggravating factor that the “action of the girls was planned beforehand, they assigned each other roles, and they rehearsed.”

The prosecutor ruled out any political motives of the girls, stating that “not one name of a politician was pronounced in the cathedral.” (How about Putin?) The analysis of their song revealed “the clear artificiality of the expression included in the text: ‘Holy Virgin: Drive out Putin,’” which they added only to support the case that their action “was a protest against people of high authority.”

The court refused to hear the testimony of fourteen witnesses prepared to testify that the girls were making a political protest. The prosecutor asked the court to ignore any testimony that their actions were not motivated by “religious hatred.” The court experts were “sufficiently qualified. There is no reason to doubt them.”

go to forbes.com

Sting, Flea, and Franz Ferdinand Against Putin: Who Will Win?

Rockers of the world are uniting against Putin’s arrest and incarceration of  the Pussy Riot punk rock group.

“Flea” promises the band members – Nadya, Katya and Masha – “his finest energy” and prayers for their release. He will “try to make as many people aware as I can.” Anthony Kiedes writes: “We love you, support you and are here to help you.” Alex Kapranos sends his support and complains that “Any leader of a country who claims to be a fan of the Beatles and Elton John and then imprisons contemporary musicians who are expressing their personal political views are dangerous hypocrites.” He seems to have gotten that right. Apparently Sting has lent his name to the protesters.

Pussy Riot’s crime was to play what they called a punk prayer, "Mother of God, Cast Putin Out!" inside Moscow's Christ the Saviour Cathedral in February. Nadya, Katya and Masha have been in jail since early March. Their trial is scheduled for the end of July and they face jail sentence of up to seven years. 

Putin has enlisted his ally Patriarch Kirill, the head of the Orthodox Church to condemn Pussy Riot as the devil.