Russia: Pussy Riot appeal case delayed

A Russian court has adjourned the appeal hearing of three activists from the LGBT-supporting punk band Pussy Riot.

In August, Maria Alyokhina, 24, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, 22, and Yekaterina Samutsevich, 30, were jailed for two years for staging an anti-Vladimir Putin protest in a Moscow cathedral.

Whilst appalled at their actions, Russia’s Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev had called for the women to be freed last month.

According to Reuters, on Monday, outside the court in Moscow, Pussy Riot supporters released three large balloons – a red, blue and a yellow one, all with captions reading “Pussy Riot!” – into the sky, while one Orthodox campaigner held up a banner declaring: “Shame to lawyers, prison for blasphemers”.

The Russian Orthodox Church said on Sunday that clemency should be possible for the trio as long as they repented what they called their “punk prayer”.

But their lawyers have said that they doubt the appeal will be successful.

The hearing was adjourned after Yekaterina Samutsevich dismissed a member of her legal team – the case will resume on 10 October.