Pussy Riot girls charged
Moscow, March 13, Interfax – Hooliganism charges have been brought against members of the Pussy Riot punk group over a scandalous action in the Church of Christ the Savior in Moscow, lawyer Nikolay Polozov has told reporters.
“My clients Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and Maria Alyokhina have just been indicted for hooliganism under Part 2, Article 213 [hooliganism committed by a group of persons] of the Russian Criminal Code,” he said.
Investigators intended to interrogate the girls as defendants but they refused to testify.
On February 21, Pussy Riot staged a performance near the sanctuary of the Church of Christ the Savior. The girls explained that it was a “religious service” in punk style. A criminal case on hooliganism charges was opened. Three Pussy Riot girls were detained and two of them were taken into custody. They responded with a hunger strike.
On Wednesday, the Moscow City Court will hear an appeal against their arrest.
