"…the
insult and humiliation of the Christian faith and inciting religious
hatred."
Yekaterina Samutsevich, Maria Alyokhina and Nadezhda
Tolokonnikova the 3 female members of Pussy Riot were each sentence to 2 years
in a penal colony for "the insult and humiliation of the Christian faith
and inciting religious hatred".
The sentencing Judge, Syrova, in her comments
additionally criticised the defendants for being feminists, though noting
"belonging to feminism in the Russian Federation is not a legal violation
or crime." Well that's lucky but...The point being publicly made is they are in addition to their
sentence to be admonished by the Laws and The State for holding feminist convictions.
Syrova included in this admonishment (rather than sentence) that the women were
not quite the full quid presumably because of their atheism, feminism and choice to protest. The prosecution had expert opinion prove the women had psychological disorders how else could they could have performed such an atrocious
act (presumably?).
What they've really be gaoled for in truth is sedition, but throw in to
perhaps gain public acceptance is the heinous crime of defaming religion and
inciting hate.
It is interesting that mockery or criticism of religion can be considered to defame and an incitement to
hate. The Russian Orthodox Church has come out in addition prior to the sentencing to openly accuse any church critics
of "militant atheism". To critique or simply mock the church
is militant and illegal. To jump about in colourful balaclava's beseeching the
Virgin Mary to get rid of Putin for Russia's sake is not ostentatious
and lurid socio-political protest it is militant and illegal - seditious. It is healthy for both a country and its people to take a
challenging hit in the moral and ethical guts - obviously for Putin and the
Russian Orthodox Church it is a step too far.
