Post date: Aug 26, 2012 3:59:8 PM
MOSCOW, RUSSIA (AUGUST 26, 2012) (REUTERS) - Two members of Russia's anti-Kremlin punk band Pussy Riot have fled the country to avoid prosecution for staging a protest against President Vladimir Putin at a church altar, the band said on Sunday (August 26).
Two members of the anti-Kremlin punk band Pussy Riot flee Russia to avoid prosecution, after three others were jailed.
A Moscow court sentenced three members of the all-female opposition band to two years in prison on August 17 for staging a "punk prayer" at the Christ the Saviour Cathedral in February, calling on the Virgin Mary to rid Russia of Putin.
The sentence drew sharp international criticism of the Russian government, while opposition groups at home have portrayed it as part of a Kremlin clampdown on dissent.
Police said earlier this week they were searching for other members of the band.
"In regard to the pursuit, two of our members have successfully fled the country! They are recruiting foreign feminists to prepare new actions," a Twitter account called Pussy Riot Group said.
Defence lawyers of the convicted Pussy Riot members - Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, Maria Alyokhina and Yekaterina Samutsevich - are expected to appeal against their sentences next week.
Tolokonnikova's husband, Pyotr Verzilov, told Reuters on Sunday that the two members of the group who have fled Russia had taken part in the cathedral protest along with his wife.
"After Pussy Riot's certain activities lately, particularly, after the release of a new song and after they had announced they would continue their activity, the Moscow City police announced that the two remaining participants (of the punk prayer) in the Cathedral were put on a wanted list and their criminal case was separated from the main one. After that they took certain safety measures and two of the band members were moved to a safe place out of reach of Russian law-enforcement agencies," he said.
"At least 12 or 15 Pussy Riot members still remain in Russia and they surely will continue their activities in Russia and will fight for the release of the arrested women," he added.
Asked if that meant they were in a country which had no extradition agreement with Russia, Verzilov confirmed it, adding that he doubts that any country would extradite the group members.
"I think the foreign states will not cooperate with Russia on this matter, because many world officials have already declared their quite harsh and critical position towards the verdict and Russia's stance on Pussy Riot case, so I would not worry about that. As for other participants, they are not under threat because Russian authorities have not brought any charges against them besides the ones for taking part in the action in Christ the Saviour cathedral," he said.
Asked if the girls were scared of the persecution, he said:
"The group will continue their actions anyway, and as far as we know, no repressions or statements coming from the law enforcement agencies can scare the girls. They went through a lot in the last few months, so all what is left for us is to watch and see what other creative ideas they will put into life."
The Kremlin has dismissed criticism by Western governments and prominent musicians including Madonna and Sting as politically motivated.
Putin, back at the Kremlin since May for his third presidential term, said before the three band members were sentenced that they should not be judged too harshly.
Under Russian law the three Pussy Riot members put on trial could have faced as much as seven years' jail for hooliganism motivated by religious hatred, but the prosecutors asked for three years and they were sentenced to two.