Why International Support for Pussy Riot Could Backfire
Russian-American singer and writer Alina Simone (Photo: Matthew Spencer)
Three members of Russian punk collective Pussy Riot face sentencing in a Moscow court on Friday.
The women could spend up to seven years in prison if convicted on charges of hooliganism.
They’ve been in jail since February after they broke into a Moscow cathedral and performed a “punk prayer” at the altar in a protest against Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
Several top Western musicians, including Paul McCartney and Madonna, have expressed support for the jailed Pussy Riot rockers.
But Russian-American musician and writer Alina Simone tells anchor Marco Werman that she thinks the excessive media attention Pussy Riot has gotten could alienate ordinary Russians, and, she says, “…in a perverse way, strengthen support for Putin.”
The story you just read is available to read for free because thousands of listeners and readers like you generously support our nonprofit newsroom. Every day, the reporters and producers at The World are hard at work bringing you human-centered news from across the globe. But we can’t do it without you: We need your support to ensure we can continue this work for another year.
When you make a gift of $10 or more a month, we’ll invite you to a virtual behind-the-scenes tour of our newsroom to thank you for being with The World.