Pussy Riot members Nadya Tolokonnikova and Masha Alekhina were detained in Sochi yesterday, and interrogated over an alleged hotel room theft. The duo went to Sochi for political reasons, to sing a song of protest against the Winter Olympics and Russian president Vladimir Putin, but were apparently minding their own business at the time of arrest.
Here’s Tolokonnikova’s statement to the Wall Street Journal:
“We, Maria Alyokhina and the anonymous members of Pussy Riot, came to Sochi to organize a protest and express our political views but at the time of our detention [by the local police] we were just taking a stroll minding our own business when we got picked up by the police and shoved into a police van. We’ve been detained like anybody who’s made an attempt to criticize authorities during the Olympics. Authorities treat local guests and athletes nicely but not those who are attempting to organize a protest.”
Later, the Pussy Riot members were released, and no charges were filed. However, it seems their time spent in custody was particularly unpleasant. As Tolokonnikova’s husband describes, the two “were put to the floor and beaten and physical force was used to them when they refused to be questioned without the presence of their lawyer, who was on his way to the police department.” Yeesh.
Tolokonnikova and Alekhina are undeterred in their quest for sociopolitical justice. On The Colbert Report, they made the following poignant comment: “We don’t think it was a successful stunt; we don’t think it improved the image of Russian. Maybe Putin made a mistake and should throw us back in jail.”
Good luck in Sochi, Pussy Rioters.
-David Melamed (@DMelamz)