Pussy Riot members receive lengthy prison terms in absentia as Kremlin intensifies crackdown on dissent
A Russian activist has been sentenced by a Moscow court to 11 years in absentia after urinating on a portrait of dictator Vladimir Putin.
Anastasia ‘Taso’ Pletner, 28, member of Russian protest group Pussy Riot, was one of five activists who faced a Moscow court over charges stemming from an online video and a live performance.
The anti-war video posted online in 2022 called “Mama, don’t watch TV” featured what Russian authorities referred to as “false information” about the Russian military killing Ukrainian civilians.
The second charge related to a concert held at the Munich Pinakothek der Moderne, where Anastasia donned a red balaclava and stood on a table over a portrait of Putin. She was seen lifting her black smock before urinating on the picture of the Russian tyrant.
Sentences Handed Down
Anastasia and her five co-accused – who are all abroad – say the charges were politically motivated. On Monday, Moscow’s Basmanny District Court handed down the following sentences in absentia:
- Maria Alyokhina, long-time activist and the most high-profile member, was jailed for 13 years and 15 days
- Anastasia ‘Taso’ Pletner was sentenced to 11 years in prison for the public urination
- Olga Borisova, Diana Burkot and Alina Petrov were each sentenced to spend eight years behind bars
All five members have been placed on an international wanted list, though they are currently residing abroad and maintain that their prosecutions were politically rather than criminally motivated.
Latest Kremlin Crackdown
The sentences come alongside the Russian regime’s latest crackdown on the ban of criticism towards Putin’s military. The charges were specifically tied to spreading “false information” about the Russian Armed Forces under Article 207.3 of Russia’s criminal code.
Russian prosecutor Vladimir Nagaitsev said Pussy Riot “opposed the current government”, adding that Alyokhina held “left-wing political views.
The prosecution argued that the group’s actions constituted “obscene acts” with President Putin’s portrait and that their anti-war messaging contained deliberately false information about Russian military operations in Ukraine.
History of Dissent
Pussy Riot has an extended history of dissenting against Putin and his government. The feminist protest and performance art group, founded in 2011 by then 22-year-old Nadya Tolokonnikova, has staged numerous unauthorised guerrilla performances in public places.
Alyokhina rose to fame when she performed an anti-Putin protest song with other Pussy Riot members at Moscow’s Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in 2012. The performance, known as “Punk Prayer: Mother of God Drive Putin Away”, led to international attention when she was jailed for two years alongside fellow members Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and Yekaterina Samutsevich after the stunt.
The group’s political positions range from anarchist to liberal left, but all members are united by feminism, anti-authoritarianism and opposition to Putin, whom they regard as continuing the “aggressive imperial politics” of the Soviet Union.
Pattern of Persecution
The persecution of Pussy Riot members has continued for over a decade:
In 2018, two other members (Olga Borisova and Sasha Sofeev) of the activist group disappeared after Russian secret police smashed their computers and phones. The pair were taken in Crimea by the Federal Security Service (FSB), before being released a short time later. The group took to social media to spread the word, saying “We found Sasha and Olya. They were detained several times but safe now”. The FSB is the successor to what used to be the KGB during the Soviet Union.
Later in 2018, a Pussy Riot member invaded a World Cup final before being allegedly poisoned by the government. Three members disrupted the match by running onto the pitch in police uniforms in September 2018. One of the trio, Pyotr Verzilov, was later taken to hospital after “losing his sight and ability to move”. He was later flown from Russia to Berlin for medical treatment.
The Munich Performance
The performance that led to Pletner’s 11-year sentence occurred at Munich’s Pinakothek der Moderne art museum in April 2024. During the performance, Pletner, wearing her signature red balaclava, climbed onto a table and stood over a portrait of the Russian president.
In what prosecutors described as “obscene acts”, she lifted her black robe and urinated on Putin’s image before kicking it to the ground. The act was filmed and later shared widely on social media as part of Pussy Riot’s ongoing campaign against Putin’s regime and the war in Ukraine.
The performance was part of a broader European tour where Pussy Riot performed in front of 100,000 people in Prague, headlining an outdoor street festival marking the anniversary of the Velvet Revolution.
International Response
The sentencing has drawn criticism from human rights organisations who view it as part of Russia’s broader crackdown on dissent and freedom of expression. The fact that all five members are currently abroad and were sentenced in absentia highlights the Russian government’s determination to punish critics even when they are beyond its immediate reach.
Pussy Riot has consistently advocated for LGBTQ rights, with members stating that “anybody can be in Pussy Riot” and rejecting gender essentialism. In a 2018 interview, Tolokonnikova emphasised the importance of transgender rights to the band, explaining that they believe “you don’t actually have to have a vagina or clitoris to be a woman.
The group continues to perform internationally, using their platform to raise awareness about political prisoners in Russia and to oppose Putin’s war in Ukraine. Their most recent performances have included appeals for donations to Ukrainian children’s hospitals and continued criticism of Putin’s authoritarian regime.
As the Kremlin intensifies its suppression of dissent, the harsh sentences handed down to Pussy Riot members serve as a stark reminder of the risks faced by those who dare to challenge Putin’s authority, even from abroad.
Follow for more updates on Britannia Daily
Image Credit:
Vladimir Putin with the flag of Russia — photo by Kremlin.ru, licensed CC BY 4.0.
