Tag: Putin

FEB 1, 2014 - Maria Alyokhina and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova from the activist-musical art band Pussy Riot that were recently freed from prison have been detained in Sochi, Russia and falsely accused of a crime, and are being detained and questioned without a lawyer. They had planned on an anti-Putin song free-speech action at the Sochi Olympics, and apparently Putin must have got wind of it because he shut it down. Read more on CNN.com here.

June 5, 2013 - The punk rock, activist "art collective" Pussy Riot is the focus of a new film by Mike Lerner and Maxim Pozdorvokin titled "Pussy Riot - A Punk Prayer". The documentary explores what is really going on with the arrest and jailing of three women in Russia, who were merely exercising the right of free speech. The film has had great reviews and acceptance, and won a World Cinema Jury Prize from the 2013 Sundance Film Festival. The film is a six-month journey into the lives of the three women, Nadya, Masha and Katia and their ordeal with the Russian justice system facing charges of "hooliganism" after performing a 40-second free speech action at the Russian Orthodox Church in Moscow. The church lobbied heavily with the Putin government to come down hard on the girls, and they all 3 ended up with prison time. Their predicament has garnered worldwide attention, and has sent shock waves reverberating through Russia.

Nadya has been freed on appeal, but the other two remain jailed. In fact, there is a new law unofficially called the "Pussy Riot Law" that just passed, that will make the penalties even stiffer if someone else tries this in the future. The new "Pussy Riot Law" calls for one year in jail and a fine of $300,000 rubles ($9,400 US) for "public actions expressing clear disrespect for society and committed with intent to offend the religious feelings of the faithful." If one does it in a house of worship, the penalties get even worse.

Check out an interview with the filmmakers on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart the other night below (fast forward to end), the direct link is here. Also, check out the movie's website here to see the trailer and learn more about the film. Apparently Vladmir Putin likes Dire Straights, so we need to get Mark Knopfler to come out in support of the girls and say, "Free Pussy Riot!", and maybe Putin will pardon them. So Mark, please come out in support of freeing Pussy Riot!

AUG 17, 2012 - Even though there were worldwide protests calling for the release of Pussy Riot, such as the Russian Embassy here in DC that JTMP attended (see pic to right, and video coming soon), the Russian court handed down a guilty verdict and 2 year prison sentences to the 3 women activist musicians from the punk activist band Pussy Riot. The charge was "hooliganism motivated by religious hatred", and it has caused an uproar from people appalled by the decision. The White House, Sting, Sir Paul McCartney, and many, many people have come out and spoken against this verdict and harsh sentence.

White House press secretary Josh Earnest said the Obama administration is "disappointed with the Pussy Riot verdict. While we understand the group's behavior was offensive for some, we have concerns about the way these young women were treated by the Russian judicial system."

Sting on Amnesty International's website said, "Dissent is a legitimate and essential right in any democracy and modern politicians must accept this fact with tolerance. A sense of proportion - and a sense of humour - is a sign of strength, not a sign of weakness."

Everyone is hoping for Putin to step in and reverse these charges and free these women, which are even putting a strain on Russian-European relations. To sign the petition to Free Pussy Riot, go to Amnesty International's petition here.This leads us to why this is all really happening: The powerful Russian Orthodox Church is behind the pressure to come down hard on these 3 women for their free speech action. So, JTMP believes we shouldn't be protesting in front of the Russian Embassy, but at the Russian Orthodox Church, where the blame lies for this injustice that is happening. We call for boycott and protest of the Russian Orthodox Church until these women are freed and this travesty of justice is reversed. Starting with the Russian Orthodox Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, Washington, DC. It is located at 4001 17th Street NW.

More info and video on all of this coming soon, so check back daily!

AUG 16, 2012 - The calls for Pussy Riot to be freed has grown louder, and the crowds at the rallies in support of their freedom have spread around the world and have gotten larger and more motivated. JTMP has been out in front of this story for weeks, because we are all about using music and activism together and we applaud the free speech action the women did at the Russian Orthodox Church and join the calls for their release. Many musicians have been coming out in support of Pussy Riot, such as Pete Townshend, Madonna, Peaches, Bjork and many, many others.

On this Friday, Aug. 17, 2012, all of the activists have organized to be spread out in cities across the world when the court announces the verdict, which will be announced at 2:00 PM Moscow time (1000 GMT), and JTMP plans to be at the Russian embassy here in DC, where earlier Amnesty International delivered 80,000 signatures in a petition to free Pussy Riot who they believe to be "prisoners of conscience". Read more on HuffPo here.

For video of this event and to get involved in the Free Pussy Riot movement check back to JTMP daily, and also check out FreePussyRiot.org, click on the city near you and join the Pussy Riot Global Day on Friday, August 17, 2012.

August 3, 2012 - President Vladimir Putin of Russia, who was just re-elected to a third term, was in London for the Olympics and commented on the Pussy Riot trial saying, "I see nothing good in what they did. Nevertheless, they should not be judged too severely." Russian courts usually follow what is "suggested to them" by the government, so this is a good sign that the 3 women will not face the full 7 years of prison they face. Read more on NYDailyNews.com here. (photo credit: Russian government/Wiki)