A Moscow court has officially labeled the Russian feminist punk band and art collective, Pussy Riot, as an extremist organization, prohibiting its activities within Russia as part of a broader crackdown on dissenting voices. The ruling, disclosed by Moscow’s court service, was issued during a closed-door session at the behest of the General Prosecutor’s Office.
Former members of the band, who are living in exile, have frequently criticized Moscow’s actions in Ukraine. In September, the court sentenced them in absentia to prison terms of up to 13 years each for allegedly spreading falsehoods about the Russian army. The group, previously identified as “foreign agents” by authorities, denied the accusations, attributing them to political motives.
With this recent ruling, Pussy Riot now shares the same extremist classification as the Jehovah’s Witnesses and the late opposition figure Alexei Navalny’s political organization. This designation facilitates the authorities in targeting the band’s supporters within Russia or individuals who have collaborated with them in the past. It may also create obstacles for the group’s interactions with Western financial institutions.
Nadya Tolokonnikova, the founder of the group currently residing outside Russia for security reasons, dismissed the designation, stating, “In today’s Russia, telling the truth is extremism. So be it — we’re proud extremists, then.” She criticized the court order as an attempt to erase Pussy Riot from the minds of Russians, emphasizing the potential legal consequences even for minor associations with the group.
Tolokonnikova, who previously served a prison term in Russia, is facing criminal charges related to offending Orthodox believers. The Kremlin justifies censorship as necessary in the face of perceived Western threats, without commenting on specific court rulings, claiming judicial independence.
State prosecutors cited the band’s past actions, including a cathedral protest in 2012 and a soccer pitch invasion during the 2018 World Cup, as posing a threat to state security. The band’s lawyer described their actions as ironic and not intended to overthrow the constitutional order.
