The singers of the Russian group Pussy Riots are in custody while waiting for their lawsuit.
On February 21, at Moscow’s Christ the Saviour Cathedral, they sang “Holy Mother, Blessed Virgin, chase Putin out!”. Their song denounced in particular the presumed close ties between the orthodox Patriarch Kirill and FSB (ex KGB).
They were arrested and charged for “inciting religious hatred”, in a concerted action of Putin’s power and the Orthodox Church.
They will be judged in April.
A petition from leaders of the Orthodox Church demand that they be severely punished.
“A large majority of orthodox believers condemn these acts”, declared to AFP father Vsevolod Tchapline, in charge of the relations between the Church and the Moscow Patriarchate. “These young ladies are possessed but they realize very well what they do”, hammered father Dimitri Smirnov, in charge of the relations between the Church and the police forces, function which speaks for itself.
The face of the clericalism, it is repression!
Partisans of freedom of expression as of any other freedom, AILP (International Association of Free Thought) demands that the charges against the members of Pussy Riots be dropped and that they be free.
- Christian Eyschen (France)
- David Rand (Canada)
- Albert Riba (Espagne)
- David Silverman (USA),
- Antonio Vergara (Chile),
- Keith Porteous Wood (United Kingdom)
