Pussy Riot Members Arrested Again, Minutes After Being Released

‘Pussy Riot’ members have been arrested again. They were arrested earlier for ‘disrupting’ the FIFA World Cup final

(Photo: The Guardian)

Members of the Pussy Riot band. 

Four members of the Russian punk band and activist group ‘Pussy Riot’ were arrested again on Monday, the same day they were released from prison, for their World Cup protest.

‘Pussy Riot’ is a feminist punk-rock group that started in 2011 in Moscow, Russia. Their aim was to disrupt the socio-political landscape of the country and lay bare the hypocrisies, discrimination and rampant sexism.

Members Pyotr Verzilov, Nika Nikulshina, Olga Kurachyova and Olga Pakhtusova were jailed for 15 days, earlier this month. The four interrupted the second half of the Croatia v France match, held in Moscow, Russia, for about 25 seconds on 15 July.

They wore police-style uniforms - white shirts, black trousers and epaulette .

Authorities said they violated the rules for spectators at sporting events and wore police uniforms ‘illegally’.

Pussy Riot said it was a protest against human rights abuses in Russia.

Video of Pussy Riot members getting re-arrested, courtesy The Guardian.

However, soon after release from custody, they were arrested again. For the “same action’’. Here’s what the group posted on social media:

The double arrest for the same action is being questioned by ‘Pussy Riot’ supporters on social media:

“Freedom is Earned, not Given.’’

“Re-arrested for no Good Reason... ’’

‘Pussy Riot’ has been raising alarms about women issues in Russia, illegal detentions and prison reforms. Their modus operandi is simple: they create music to shock the country into understanding the problems it is facing vis-a-vis each of these issues. The group has been arrested twice in the past, but that has not stopped them from staging protests against the administration.

It is still unclear as to when the group will be released. They have already been barred from attending any sporting event for the next three years.