Punk group Pussy Riot was declared an "extremist organization" by a Russian court on Monday. The ruling, which was made by Moscow's Tverskoy District Court, effectively outlaws the group from operating in Russia and puts anyone linked with the group at risk of criminal prosecution, reports the AP. The feminist protest group first catapulted into the spotlight in 2012, when its members performed a provocative "punk prayer" against President Vladimir Putin from the pulpit of Russia's largest cathedral.
"The terrorists have labeled us extremists," said Pussy Riot activist Alexander Sofeev, per the Moscow Times. "I can't say that I'm particularly upset by a decision coming from people like that. For me, these are completely illegitimate institutions that do not represent my interests in any way. As for our activities, all the participants are now, fortunately, outside Russia, so I don't think there will be any major changes."
In September, five people linked to Pussy Riot—Maria Alyokhina, Taso Pletner, Olga Borisova, Diana Burkot, and Alina Petrova—were handed jail terms by a Russian court after being found guilty of spreading "false information" about the Russian military, news outlet Mediazona reported. Mediazona was founded by Alyokhina alongside another Pussy Riot member, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova. The case was linked to an anti-war music video made by the group, as well as an art performance in Germany that saw Pletner urinate on a portrait of Putin. Alyokhina received a 13-year prison sentence, while Pletner was given 11 years. Burkot, Petrova, and Borisova were given eight years' imprisonment. All have rejected the charges as politically motivated.
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