Pussy Rioters sent to ‘hellish’ prison colonies

Two members of punk band Pussy Riot have been taken to remote Russian prison colonies notorious for their harsh conditions after a court this month upheld their two-year sentences, their lawyer said.

“Nadya Tolokonnikova has been sent to Mordovia, and Maria Alyokhina to Perm,” defence lawyer Violetta Volkova said.

The Perm and Mordovia regions, both in central Russia, host a vast network of Soviet-era prison camps infamous for their tough conditions.