Moscow court labels Pussy Riot "extremist organisation"

A court in Moscow has ruled that the Russian punk band Pussy Riot is an “extremist” organisation, effectively banning its activities in Russia.

The decision was announced on December 15, by the press service of Moscow’s courts of general jurisdiction, Caliber.Az reports via DW. 

The Tverskoy District Court upheld a request from the Deputy Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation to designate the group as extremist. The hearing was held behind closed doors.

According to the Prosecutor General’s Office, the designation was sought over Pussy Riot’s past protest actions, including performances in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow and during the final match of the 2018 FIFA World Cup, also held in Moscow.

Pussy Riot, a feminist punk rock collective known for its provocative political activism, gained international attention in 2012 after staging a performance titled “Mother of God, Drive Putin Away!” inside the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. Several members were later arrested and imprisoned. 

The band has consistently opposed the Russian government, including its war in Ukraine. In September, five members of Pussy Riot—Maria Alekhina, Taso Pletner, Diana Burkot, Alina Petrova, and Olga Borisova—were sentenced in absentia by a Russian court to prison terms ranging from eight to 13 years. They were convicted on charges of spreading alleged false information about the Russian military.

Pussy Riot members currently live outside Russia, and the group has continued its activism from abroad.

By Sabina Mammadli