MOSCOW: The Russian Orthodox Church yesterday called for members of the Pussy Riot punk band to repent, on the eve of an appeal court hearing they hope will quash their two-year jail sentences for performing an anti-Kremlin song in Moscow’s main cathedral.
The three women — who belted out a “punk prayer” criticising President Vladimir Putin’s close ties to the Russian Orthodox Church — were convicted of “hooliganism motivated by religious hatred” by a district court on August 17.
The tough jail sentences they received saw the West sharply criticise Putin and the Kremlin because of doubts over the independence of the judiciary, and global celebrities, including British musician Paul McCartney and US pop singer Madonna, called for leniency for the women.
Vladimir Legoida, a senior church spokesman, said their stunt “must not remain unpunished whatever the justification,” but said that any repentance, if expressed, should be taken into account.
“The church sincerely wishes for the repentance of those who desecrated a holy place, certainly it would benefit their souls,” Legoida said in a speech.
“If any words of the convicts indicate repentance ... we would wish that they are not left unnoticed and those who violated the law get a chance to mend their ways.”
A church statement after the August verdict indicated that the clergy would back a pardon or a reduced sentence, but that would have required Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, 22, Maria Alyokhina, 24, and Yekaterina Samutsevich, 30, to admit their guilt, something their lawyers say they will not do. REUTERS
