Staff Writer
Pussy Riot’s Maria Alyokhina has dropped her plea to get an early release from prison.
The 25-year-old is serving a two-year sentence for “hooliganism motivated by religious hatred”. On February 21, 2012, her band Pussy Riot protested against President Vladimir Putin in a Russian Orthodox cathedral. The protests were directed at the Russian Orthodox Church’s leader’s support for Putin during his election campaign. Another member of the band, Yekaterina Samutsevich, was also convicted, but was released on probation after two months of imprisonment in October 2012. In fear of prosecution, two other members of Pussy Riot managed to escape following the protest.
Alyokhina had decided to drop the plea as a mark of support for bandmate Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, who has yet to be allowed to also make the request for early release.
During a recent court hearing, Alyokhina said, “I have no moral right to take part in this court hearing at a time when my friend and fellow convict Nadezhda Tolokonnikova does not have such an opportunity. It is extremely strange and disgusting to me that a convict in Russia is no more than the profit-making property of the authorities. I declare my protest against this, and I declare this protest from the inside, from this pit they are pushing us all into.”
Tolokonnikova has recently placed her nine-day hunger strike on hold, saying, “I am not calling off my hunger strike, I am temporarily suspending it because of my physical condition is now very bad and there are the beginnings of health complications.” Tolokonnikova was sent to the hospital on the seventh day of her hunger strike, but was soon back in stable condition.
Tolokonnikova had started her hunger strike campaign due to the alleged inhumane working conditions she was forced to endure at Russia’s Penal Colony No.14. For her personal safety reasons, she will now be moved to another penal colony.
Both Alyokhina and Tolokonnikova are due to be released in March 2014.
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