Members of Pussy Riot have been jailed after they invaded the pitch during Sunday’s World Cup final in Moscow.
It was reported yesterday that the Russian punks had claimed responsibility for disrupting the match between France and Croatia at the Luzhniki Stadium, when three of them, dressed as police officers, ran on to the pitch, while a fourth was detained on the sidelines.
The band said they had wanted to draw attention to police impunity in the country.
They had been facing a fine and community service for the “violation of spectator’s rights” but the Pussy Riot Twitter feed reports that they’ve been jailed.
The band report that Veronica Nikulshina, Olga Kurachova, Pyotr Verzilov and Olga Pakhtusova have been sentenced to 15 days and have been banned from attending sporting events in the country for three years.
Pussy Riot hit the headlines in 2012 when former members Nadya Tolokonnikova and Maria Alyokhina were each jailed for 22 months after they were found guilty of “hooliganism motivated by religious hatred” after they performed a “punk prayer” in a Russian Orthodox cathedral.
Attention! The court has just sentenced the first Pussy Riot member, Veronica Nikulshina, with 15 days of administrative arrest (will spend them in a special prison) and banned her from visiting sports events. pic.twitter.com/e0hX5fQSzlJuly 16, 2018
Our second member, Olga Kurachova (pink hair, middle of the photo), got 15 days of administrative arrest as well. pic.twitter.com/AGY11xZScKJuly 16, 2018
And Pyotr Verzilov gets 15 days plus a ban to visit sports events for 3 years.July 16, 2018
Ourt fourth member, Olga Pakhtusova, gets 15 days of arrest and a ban to visit sports events for 3 years. pic.twitter.com/EdifeIg3tQJuly 16, 2018
