Pussy Riot’s Nadya Tolokonnikova has penned a letter calling on the Russian government to free fellow members Maria Alekhina and Lucy Shtein. The two have been placed under house arrest after calling via Instagram for the release of several political prisoners in the country following mass protests regarding opposition leader #Alexei Navalny# own detainment. This week, Alekheina and Shtein will have a trial in Moscow where they face up to two years in prison.
The letter, calling on the film industry specifically in expressing support for Alekhina and Shtein, has since been signed by the likes of #Marina Abramovic#, Spike Jonze, Rori Kennedy, Tom Morello, and more.
On the letter and call, European Film Academy Chairman Mike Downey says: “Masha Alekhina and Pussy Riot are tireless campaigners for human rights and justice. We worked together on the campaign to free Oleg Sentsov – and now Masha and Lucy are facing two years of incarceration. They are clearly victims of another Putin witch hunt and are staging yet another show trial to deter their followers. The European Film Academy stands by Masha and Lucy and supports them in their struggle for basic human rights in Russia.”
“To Whom It May Concern,
We, the undersigned organizations and individuals, call on the Russian government to immediately cease criminal prosecution of Pussy Riot band members Maria Alekhina and Lucy (Ludmila) Shtein. They face up to two years in prison for posts on social media advocating for the release of political prisoners in #Russia. Ms. Alekhina has already spent two years in prison for performing the song “Virgin Mary, drive Putin away.” Now she and other politicians and artists face charges of “inciting violations of sanitary regulations.” These baseless charges are part of the Russian government’s campaign to silence activists and discourage people from further protests stirred by corruption and the unfair and politically motivated imprisonment of Aleksey Navalny.
Ms. Alekhina’s imprisonment and her continued persecution under the guise of prosecution by Russian authorities directly violate international human rights laws and standards that protect freedom of thought, speech, and expression. These actions seek to oppress and persecute peaceful voices supporting democratic values in an effort to suppress any opposition against the authoritarian Russian government.
We condemn the persecution of peaceful demonstrators who according to numerous reports are currently being beaten, tortured, imprisoned and ill-treated for participating in rallies. Persecution based on political opinion is unacceptable in any civilized society.
We respectfully urge your government to drop all charges against Maria Alekhina and Lucy Shtein in observance of international #human rights# laws and standards. The international community of artists and human rights advocates around the world will continue to monitor their situation and press your government until you withdraw their cases.”
