Madonna Calls for Pussy Riot's Release at Moscow Show

Mikhail Metzel/AFP/GettyImages

Madonna paused during a concert last night in Moscow to urge Russian authorities to free three members of the band Pussy Riot, who are on trial for staging a "punk prayer" against Vladimir Putin in a Russian Orthodox cathedral in March, Reuters reports. 

The pop star's expressions of solidarity also included wearing a balaclava similar to the ones worn by Pussy Riot members Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, Maria Alyokhina and Yekaterina Samutsevich during protests; and revealing the band's name written on her back after stripping down to a black bra.

"I know there are many side to every story, and I mean no disrespect to the church or the government, but I think that these three girls – Masha, Katya, Nadya – I think that they have done something courageous," Madonna told the crowd.

"I pray for their freedom," she added. 

As a verdict nears in what some observers have called a politically motivated show trial, Tolokonnikova told the court earlier this week that their performance in Moscow's Christ the Savior Cathedral was a political statement that was never intended to offend religious sensibilities. "We sang 'Black habit, gold shoulder straps' about the fusion of KGB and the church," she said. "Our goal was political protest in artistic form. There was no hate, not a drop."

Madonna joins artists including Patti Smith, Sting and the Red Hot Chili Peppers in calling for the release of Pussy Riot, whose members could face seven years in prison on charges of "hooliganism motivated by religious hatred." Putin, Russia's president, has said he hopes the women "are not judged too severely," and a prosecutor this week asked for three-years sentences.

"I know that everyone in this auditorium, if you are here as my fan, feels they have the right to be free," Madonna said during her set.

U.S. and Russian authorities had warned of the threat of violence against performers and spectators at the pop icon's two Moscow performances this week, Billboard reports. The U.S. Consulate General issued a warning that read: "While we expect that enhanced security measures will be put in place at both concerts, U.S. citizens are reminded to remain vigilant regarding their personal security, and to be aware of their surroundings at all times, especially in crowded areas."

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Pussy Riot Trial Nears Verdict in Moscow

Nadezhda Tolokonnikova of Pussy Riot is escorted to a court hearing in Moscow.ADNREY SMIRNOV/AFP/GettyImages

Jailed feminist punk rockers Pussy Riot told a Russian court both yesterday and today that their "punk prayer" in Moscow's biggest cathedral was a political statement, not an expression of hate against Orthodox Christians.

"We sang 'Black habit, gold shoulder straps' about the fusion of KGB and the church," band member Nadezhda Tolokonnikova said yesterday in court. "Our goal was political protest in artistic form. There was no hate, not a drop."

Police jailed Pussy Riot members Tolokonnikova, 22, Maria Alyokhina, 24, and Yekaterina Samutsevich, 29, this past March – charging them with "hooliganism" for staging a performance in Moscow's Christ the Savior Cathedral in which they asked the Virgin Mary to rid Russia of President Vladimir Putin.  The court hearings, which began July 30th, have been widely criticized as a politically motivated show trial, with international artists including Madonna, Patti Smith, Sting and Red Hot Chili Peppers calling for Pussy Riot's release.

The breakneck speed of the controversial proceedings continued to stun participants and observers as the judge moved the trial into its penultimate stage – the debates – on Monday evening. Defense lawyers complained that they were not given enough time to prepare for the debates, with just one night to get their materials ready.

After the debate phase, the defendants will offer final statements before the court issues its verdict.  Prosecutors are seeking a three-year prison term for the band; the court will likely hand out its sentence before the end of this week. (The maximum sentence for hooliganism is seven years, but Putin recently made a public statement suggesting that the band should not be punished too severely.)

Prosecutor Alexander Nikiforov called Pussy Riot's church performance blasphemous, adding that blasphemy is one of the gravest sins in the Russian Orthodox Church. Nikiforov claimed that political lyrics were only added to the song later to mask the band's hate and sacrilege toward the Christian Orthodox faith.

But Pussy Riot's members strongly disputed this allegation. "We sang part of the refrain 'Holy shit,'" Tolokonnikova said in court today. "I am sorry if I offended anyone with this. It is an idiomatic expression, related to the previous verse - about the fusion of Moscow patriarchy and the government. 'Holy shit' is our evaluation of the situation in the country. This opinion is not blasphemy."

Pussy Riot's lawyers also said today that the prosecution's case included falsified victim statements, evidenced by similar wording and identical spelling mistakes in all the statements. Tolokonnikova said that the dress and masks presented as evidence on Friday were not worn by any Pussy Riot member.

On Monday, Judge Marina Syrova denied the defense's motion to interview Igor Ponkin, an expert who reviewed the case and co-authored a report that stated that Pussy Riot's church stunt was blasphemous and motivated by religious hatred.

Ponkin has collaborated on several projects with Mikhail Kuznetsov, a lawyer of a church guard who has accused Pussy Riot of deeply offending his religious feelings. These projects included a joint letter published last fall to Putin and former president Dmitry Medvedev criticizing a federal education bill for being "atheist" and not having a clear clause on integration of theology into Russia's education system. Ponkin and Kuznetsov also co-wrote a book titled On the Right of Critical Evaluation of Homosexuality.

Syrova upheld the prosecution's objection to interviewing Ponkin on the grounds that the documents linking Ponkin and Kuznetsov were not filed properly. The judge has denied or ignored the majority of defense motions since the beginning of the trial; she has also denied eight requests to remove her from the case.

Syrova did, however, grant the defense a motion to interview more experts and witnesses – but at 9 p.m. on Monday, none of the witnesses had arrived at the Khamovniki court building.

"Your witnesses aren't here?" Syrova asked. "Then the court is moving to the stage of debates."

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