Index
UNCUT Free Speech on the Frontline
MAY 15, 2012
BY ELENA VLASENKO
Members of Pussy Riot who have not yet been arrested are now in hiding. They gave this exclusive email interview to Index on Censorship.

- Did you expect these consequences — arrests, criminal proceedings, your supporters being beaten and insulted by radical nationalists — when you planned your cathedral performance? Would you repeat the performance if you knew how this would end?

– We didn’t expect the arrest. We are a women’s group which is forced to consume the ideas of patriarchal conservative society. We experience each process that happens in this society. Besides, we are a punk band, which can perform in any public place, especially one which is maintained through our taxes. That’s why we would definitely repeat our prayer. It was worth it: look at the awakened pluralism — political and religious!

Read Full Interiew: http://uncut.indexoncensorship.org/2012/05/pussy-riot-russia-protest/

Oslo Freedom Forum 
7,8,9 May 2012 

Session 6: In Putin’s Shadow

A panel discussion about the recent Russian elections, accompanying protests, and the future of democracy in the region.

Introduction: Eli Lake
Moderator: Jamie Kirchick
Denis Bilunov
Garry Kasparov
Natalia Pelevine
Pyotr Verzilov (husband of Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, member of Pussy Riot)
 
Eli: Thank you and welcome this morning. This discussion comes at a particularly dark time, as this week we’ve witnessed a consolidation of power in Russia, in country where only 20 years ago we had high hopes for democracy.
[...]
Pyotr: We’re all a bit sleep deprived at the moment, as you might be able to tell. There are people who are out in the streets in Moscow at this moment, maneuvering against the police. And we’re trying to help in whatever way we can, but of course, this doesn’t really fit with getting much sleep, let alone the 8 hours of recommended sleep.
It’s not me who is a famous political operative, but I’m here to represent the Voina group, of which I am a founding member. And then of course, to represent the feminist punk band, Pussy Riot. You may be familiar with the latter, since it has had a bit of media attention lately. And it’s quite humorous to hear conservative American radio announcers try and say Pussy Riot 15 times in a two minute segment.
 
Read Full Transcript of the Session "In Putin's Shadow": http://www.oslofreedomforum.com/blog/2012/05/09/session-6-in-putins-shadow/

The Nation
Katrina vanden Heuvel
May 2, 2012 - 9:18 AM ET
Muckraking blogger, lawyer and protest leader Aleksei Navalny called the arrests “senseless and horrible cruelty, which is much worse than their very stupid but small offense”—an offense which he said “obviously cannot be punished harsher than five days of arrest.” He noted a recent case of an election commissioner’s daughter who “ran over two people,” one of whom died and the other was “maimed.” The sentence was three years “in a settlement colony”—and it was suspended for 14 years because the woman is the mother of a young child.

Read Article: http://www.thenation.com/blog/167647/free-pussy-riot

Translated Summation of the article: Pussy Riot и РПЦ. Затянется ли ранка 
April 30, 2012
Newsland.Ru
by Павел Быков

Too harsh of a reaction to the outburst of feminist group Pussy Riot in the Temple of Christ the Savior brought the Russian Orthodox Church more disadvantages than advantages, said a well-known Orthodox missionary Deacon Andrei Kuraev. This reaction contradicts the efforts of Patriach Kirill three years ago aimed at attracting young people, students, and intellectuals to the Church. It also goes against the positions of some officials. For example, Valentina Matvienko -- the chairman of the Federation Council -- said that, if it was up to her, she would let the girls go; although they have acted mischievously, she would have forgiven them. Also, the Minister of Justice Konovalov -- a graduate of the University of the Orthodox -- stated that, as a lawyer, he did not see any prospects for a prison sentence.

According to Kuraev, in light of these recent statements, the silence of the official Orthodox Church speakers is very loud; it illustrates a clear difference between the positions of the Government and the Church. Kuraev concluded that the Patriarch, the society, and the State share the common expectation from the Church: an active social position and compassionate service. Good charity cases on behalf of the Church would block the effect of the feminist actions. However, the Church acted exactly the opposite so far: it spoke not about the gifts, but the money-grubbing. Kuraev stressed that Church should respond to the critique against it not only with words, but also with good deeds. For, looking up from the Internet, people have seen that in real life, Christians are able to forgive, have compassion and sacrifice.
 
Read Actual Article (In Russian): http://www.newsland.ru/news/detail/id/947966/