Lisa Hafey

Staff Writer

After being denied permission to attend her own parole hearing in person, Maria Alekhina has gone on a hunger strike. 

Alekhina is one of two members of Russian punk act Pussy Riot still in prison, after being sentenced to two years for invading Moscow’s main Russian Orthodox Cathedral in February last year. They had staged a profanity-laced “Punk Prayer,” and urged the Virgin Mary to “Throw Putin Out!”

Speaking by video link, Maria told the court considering her parole hearing, that it violated her rights by not allowing her to participate personally.

“In protest against the court’s refusal to allow me to appear in person to take part in the hearing, I’m going on a hunger strike,” she said.

“In the current circumstances I forbid all my lawyers and representatives to take part in this court hearing.” 

Bandmate Nadezhda Tolokonnikova also remains in prison. Third member of Pussy Riot, Yekaterina Samutsevich, was released last October because she argued on appeal she had been prevented from taking part in the protest, due to being seized by a guard.  The judge presiding over her case suspended her sentence.

In January this year, Alekhina sought a deferred sentence in order to care for her young son, but was denied by the courts.  Likewise last month, Tolokonnikova was also denied parole.

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