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2 Russian Protest Band Members Say They Were Arrested 2 Russian Protest Band Members Say They Were Arrested
(about 2 hours later)
SOCHI, Russia — Two members of the punk protest group Pussy Riot, recently released from prison under an amnesty program initiated by President Vladimir V. Putin, said they were arrested here on Tuesday. SOCHI, Russia — Two members of the punk protest group Pussy Riot, recently released from prison under an amnesty program initiated by President Vladimir V. Putin, were arrested here on Tuesday in what they said was an attempt to prevent them from carrying out a new political protest action.
The two women, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and Maria Alyokhina, were detained along with other members of the group who were apparently working with them on a new song. They said the arrests had taken place in central Sochi, about 30 minutes’ drive from the Olympic Park where the Winter Games are taking place. The women and their collaborators were released from a police station in the Adler district early Tuesday evening, and at least five of them emerged wearing the colorful balaclavas that are the group’s trademark. The two women, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and Maria Alyokhina, were detained along with other members of the group who were apparently working with them on a new song. The arrests occurred in central Sochi, about 30 minutes’ drive from the Olympic Park where the Winter Games are taking place.
Russian authorities said the group members had been questioned in connection with a theft that occurred in the hotel where the two women were staying. Supporters of the group dismissed that explanation. The women and their collaborators were released from a police station in the Adler district early Tuesday evening, and at least five of them emerged wearing the colorful balaclavas that are the group’s trademark.
Speaking with reporters outside the police station, Ms. Tolokonnikova said that since arriving here on Sunday she and the others with her had been detained repeatedly by the police, border guards and the Federal Security Service, the successor to the Soviet K.G.B.
“People are following us,” she said. “They track out every move and look for any excuse to detain us.” They were detained, she said, “so that we wouldn’t have a chance to make a political statement here.” She was referring to the band’s new song, “Putin Will Teach You to Love the Motherland.”
Ms. Tolokonnikova and Ms. Alyokhina became an international cause célèbre after they and a third member of the group were convicted in connection with a protest act that they staged in Moscow’s main cathedral, praying to the Virgin Mary to rid Russia of Mr. Putin.
They were sentenced to two years in prison, while the third woman, Yekaterina Samutsevich, received a suspended sentence on appeal. They were freed in late December, a few weeks before their scheduled release, in an amnesty that they said was intended to make Mr. Putin look broad-minded and tolerant in the days leading up to the Olympics. They have said they would rather have served their full sentences.
In Sochi on Tuesday, the Russian authorities said the group members were being questioned in connection with a theft in the hotel where the two women were staying. Supporters of the group dismissed that explanation, saying the theft investigation was a pretext for interfering with the production of the new song.
The detentions appeared to be a serious public relations mistake by the local authorities, and quickly developed into a major media sensation. The women posted messages on Twitter describing their arrests in detail, including their trip in a police vehicle to the station.The detentions appeared to be a serious public relations mistake by the local authorities, and quickly developed into a major media sensation. The women posted messages on Twitter describing their arrests in detail, including their trip in a police vehicle to the station.
Ms. Tolokonnikova’s husband, Pyotr Verzilov, who acts as a sort of publicity manager for Pussy Riot, said in an interview outside the police station that the theft investigation was a pretext for interfering with the production of the new song, to be called “Putin Will Teach You to Love the Motherland.” (The group has often recorded audio and visual images separately and then combined them later in a final product.) Ms. Tolokonnikova and Ms. Alyokhin have continued to criticize Mr. Putin and the Russian government since their release on Dec. 23. The new song makes reference to more recent political developments including an effort by the Kremlin to pressure Dozhd, an independent television station, into shutting its operations.
“The song takes several days to make,” Mr. Verzilov said. “If the police had some questions about the song, then they should have officially said that. Instead, they are trying to charge Nadya, Masha and eight other members of the group with some sort of association with a theft at the hotel.” “The air is closed for Dozhd,” the women sang, pumping their fists in the air and stopping traffic as they were surrounded by a swirl of journalists in a sleepy, residential neighborhood here near the police station. “The gay parade has been sent to the outhouse.”
The Interfax news agency, citing a government report, said that everyone staying at the hotel was being questioned in connection with the alleged theft. “Putin Will Teach You to Love the Motherland,” they repeated, the chorus of the song.
Ms. Tolokonnikova and Ms. Alyokhin have continued to criticize Mr. Putin and the Russian government since their release on Dec. 23. They said that the amnesty was intended to make Mr. Putin look broadminded and benevolent in the days leading up to the Olympics, and that they would rather have served the remaining few weeks of their two-year sentences. In a series of messages on Twitter, Ms. Tolokonnikova said that the two women were detained three times in three days here.
The two women were convicted in connection with a protest act that they staged in Moscow’s main cathedral, praying to the Virgin Mary to rid Russia of Mr. Putin.
In a series of messages on Twitter, Ms. Tolokonnikova said that the two women had been detained three times in three days in Sochi, one of those times by the Federal Security Service, known as the F.S.B.
“On the 16th, we were detained for seven hours,” she wrote. “On the 17th, we spent 10 hours with the F.S.B., and today we are in a police wagon, accused of theft.”“On the 16th, we were detained for seven hours,” she wrote. “On the 17th, we spent 10 hours with the F.S.B., and today we are in a police wagon, accused of theft.”
As for what they were doing, Ms. Tolokonnikova wrote: “We are in Sochi to hold a Pussy Riot action. The song is called, ‘Putin Will Teach You to Love the Motherland.’ ” But she said they had not yet carried out any protest, and were merely walking in the city when they were stopped on Tuesday. As for what they were doing, Ms. Tolokonnikova wrote, “We are in Sochi to hold a Pussy Riot action.”
Although there had been numerous calls for political protests during the Sochi Olympics, particularly over Russia’s law barring “propaganda” on nontraditional sexual relationships, the games so far have been largely devoid of any political demonstrations. Although there had been numerous calls for political protests during the Sochi Olympics, particularly over Russia’s law barring “propaganda” on nontraditional sexual relationships, the games so far have been largely devoid of political demonstrations.
The Kremlin initially tried to ban political protests outright in Sochi. Mr. Putin then issued a decree in January saying that demonstrations could take place, but only with government permission and at a designated location. The local authorities chose a park in the village of Khosta, about 10 miles from the Olympic arenas, and have since said that there were few, if any, applications for rallies.The Kremlin initially tried to ban political protests outright in Sochi. Mr. Putin then issued a decree in January saying that demonstrations could take place, but only with government permission and at a designated location. The local authorities chose a park in the village of Khosta, about 10 miles from the Olympic arenas, and have since said that there were few, if any, applications for rallies.
Some activists, including a local environmental organization, have said that they tried to apply for permits but were strongly pressured by the authorities to withdraw their requests. The environmental group, for instance, said it had decided to meet with local and federal officials, including the deputy minister for natural resources, instead of staging a demonstration. Some activists, including a local environmental organization, have said that they tried to apply for permits but were strongly pressured by the authorities to withdraw their requests.
In any event, the park has remained mostly quiet, except for the usual local residents pushing baby strollers or watching children ride bicycles. Vladimir Luxuria, a transgender former member of the Italian Parliament, said she was detained by the authorities on Sunday night after appearing in the Olympic Park with a banner that said “Gay is O.K.” in Russian.
Vladimir Luxuria, a transgender former member of the Italian Parliament, said she was detained by the authorities on Sunday night after appearing in the Olympic Park with a banner that said “Gay is O.K.” in Russian. Ms. Luxuria was released early Monday and returned to the Olympic Park again on Monday night, wearing the gay pride movement’s signature rainbow colors, and was detained when she entered the Bolshoi Ice Dome hockey arena. Ms. Luxuria was released early Monday and returned to the Olympic Park again on Monday night, wearing the gay pride movement’s signature rainbow colors, and was detained when she entered the Bolshoi Ice Dome hockey arena.
Olympic officials denied on Monday that she had been detained the first time, but a spokesman for the Italian Foreign Ministry said she was held for two hours on Sunday at a police station, and had been in touch with the Italian consul in Moscow.Olympic officials denied on Monday that she had been detained the first time, but a spokesman for the Italian Foreign Ministry said she was held for two hours on Sunday at a police station, and had been in touch with the Italian consul in Moscow.
Ms. Luxuria was in Sochi to film a segment for the Italian satirical television program Le Iene, which often tackles social issues. “It’s not a coincidence that Vladimir has the same name as Putin — her parents named her that, she comes from a communist background, she knows this world,” said Davide Parenti, the principal writer for the program. “So we sent her, so that all these contradictions would emerge.”
He said the segment was intended to focus on gay life in Russia. “We didn’t go to provoke a reaction, but to talk about the issue,” Mr. Parenti said. “Because what’s happening is scandalous and it has to be talked about.” He added, “We went to report it; we had no idea it could end like this.”
The detention of the Pussy Riot members was certain to generate far greater attention. The women became an international cause célèbre after their convictions in August 2012 on charges of hooliganism motivated by religious hatred, in connection with the cathedral protest.
Their case was seen as a vivid example of the Kremlin’s effort to suppress political dissent and to impose harsh prison sentences for even peaceful protest actions. Musicians and artists around the world voiced support for the band members.