Paul McCartney has taken personal interest and initiative in the now notorious Pussy Riot incarceration case. In light of the remaining jailed band member, Maria Alyokhina, announcing a hunger strike yesterday in protest of her denied parole request, McCartney has decided to intervene via handwritten letters to Russian officials. Back in August, members of the all-female Pussy Riot performed an anti-government song at a Russian Orthodox cathedral, and were subsequently imprisoned.
Convicted of “hooliganism motivated by religious contempt for staging a protest against Russian president Vladimir Putin”, they were sentenced to two years in jail. While other member, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, was released back in October on appeal, Maria still remains. This public incarceration has brought attention to the role of government in art, and how this kind of censorship hinders free speech and artistic expression.
In his letters, McCartney expresses his belief that the continued imprisonment of Ms. Alyokina will not only be detrimental to her, but “the situation as a whole, which, of course, is being watched by people all over the world.” In a separate, yet related letter regarding released member Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, McCartney references his longstanding relations and acquaintance with Russian citizens. He stresses the importance of “…treating people – all people, with compassion and kindness.”
For more background on the situation, check out L4LM’s Pussy Riot article from last August.
The Pussy Riot case has caught the attention of other musicians, including Madonna and Peaches, who have also publicly demonstrated support of the band. People all over the world, not just the members of Pussy Riot, must thank Paul McCartney for his call to action to “Give Peace a Chance”, although all of this oppressive hoopla in the Eastern world probably makes him feel like he’s “Back in the USSR.”
-Alexandra Miller
[thanks to Rolling Stone and CNN for information regarding this news]