Music

Two members of Pussy Riot flee Russia

by Nicole Villeneuve

After three members of Russian feminist punk band Pussy Riot were recently jailed on account of “hooliganism,” two other members have fled the country, according to the band’s Twitter.

Back in February, five members staged a “punk prayer” at the altar of Moscow’s Christ the Savior Cathedral, asking the Virgin Mary to get Putin out of power. They were removed by security, and later, three were identified and arrested. The other two, according to a translation of the tweet, escaped continuing police pursuit. “In regard to the pursuit, two of our members have successfully fled the country! They are recruiting foreign feminists to prepare new actions!”

The collective still has a large number of participants in Russia as well. Defence lawyers for the convicted members—Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, Maria Alyokhina and Yekaterina Samutsevich—are expected to appeal against their sentences.