Trial of anti-Putin punk band to be broadcast online
Three members of the band are on trial on hooliganism charges for a protest against Russian president Vladimir Putin in February, in a case that has divided Russia and been branded by critics as an “inquisition”.
They have been held since March and on the first day of the trial on Friday were unexpectedly ordered to stay in jail until Jan 2013.
Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, Yekaterina Samutsevich, and Maria Alekhina face up to seven years in jail if convicted after barging into Moscow’s Cathedral of Christ the Saviour to perform a “punk prayer” calling for Putin’s overthrow.
The three women looked upbeat and waved to reporters with their free hand as they were led from the police van into the court house, handcuffed by the other hand to guards and surrounded by heavily armed special forces.
Judge Marina Syrova scheduled the next hearing for Jul 30, said Khamovnichesky court spokeswoman Darya Lyakh.
In an unusual move, she also declared that the court will broadcast the hearings on its website in order to “give full access” to everyone interested.
One Pussy Riot lawyer, Mark Feygin, said broadcasting court hearings is only occasionally done in terrorism cases, and called the decision “suspicious”.
“The courtroom is very small, and it is possible the media will not be able to attend,” he said.
The defence last week asked for Putin and Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill to be called to the witness stand, saying they had key roles in the case. However the judge declined to grant the lawyers’ requests for any defence witnesses.
Pussy Riot members have won support from both Russian and international media and cultural figures, and the lead singer of US rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers, Anthony Kiedis, wore a Pussy Riot T-shirt when he performed to a packed stadium in the Russian capital at the weekend.
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