(New York, NY) — Criminal charges against the Russian feminist art collective Pussy Riot represent an attempt to use the COVID-19 pandemic as an excuse for the Russian government to punish its critics and peaceful protesters, PEN America said today.
Two members of Pussy Riot, Maria “Masha” Alekhina and Lucy Shteyn, have been placed under house arrest and are currently facing criminal charges for allegedly sharing posts on social media encouraging people to join protests decrying the jailing of opposition leader Aleksei Navalny. Russian authorities apparently suggested that these posts may have violated restrictions related to the coronavirus epidemic. According to public reports as well as Pussy Riot’s official social media, the two have been accused of violating Article 236 of Russia’s criminal code, which criminalizes creating “a threat of mass illness.” Under this article, Alekhina and Shteyn face up to two years imprisonment.
“With these criminal charges, it’s appallingly obvious that Russian authorities are working to weaponize COVID-19 as a tool to repress and punish those participating in the protests, including artists, writers, and others,” said Julie Trebault, director of the Artists at Risk Connection. “Alekhina, Shteyn, and their fellow Pussy Riot members have been outspoken critics—and victims—of Vladimir Putin’s regime for years, and their arrests are no accident. It is obvious that the true ‘crime’ for which they are being investigated is the crime of speaking truth. Russian authorities must immediately cease their targeted attempts to silence Pussy Riot and drop the charges against Alekhina and Shteyn.”
Alekhina, Shteyn, and fellow Pussy Riot member Viktoria Naraxsa had recently been arrested under separate charges for their participation in a demonstration January 23. Naraxsa and Shteyn received ten-day jail sentences, while Alekhina was fined 30,000 rubles ($400) for holding a protest event without filing a proper notice.
Alekhina has previously faced threats from Russian authorities for her work with Pussy Riot, most notably in 2012 when she and two other members were sentenced to two years in prison before ultimately being released following an international outcry. Since then, she has remained an outspoken activist and critic of the Kremlin, and recently spoke about her persecution in ARC’s new Safety Guide for Artists.
PEN America leads the Artists at Risk Connection, a program dedicated to assisting imperiled artists and fortifying the field of organizations that support them. If you or someone you know is an artist at risk, contact ARC here.