Pussy Riot labelled ‘extremist organisation’ in latest Kremlin crackdown
Anti-Putin punk collective hit with extremist ruling by court
- The Russian anti-Kremlin feminist punk collective Pussy Riot has been officially designated an extremist organisation by a Moscow court.
- The ruling, announced on Monday, effectively bans the group's activities within Russia, following a request from the General Prosecutor's Office.
- This decision comes after a September judgment saw five members sentenced in absentia to up to 13 years in jail for allegedly spreading 'lies' about the Russian army.
- Pussy Riot, whose members are currently outside Russia, gained global recognition in 2012 for a protest against President Vladimir Putin in a Russian Orthodox cathedral.
- Nadya Tolokonnikova, the group's founder, dismissed the move, stating, 'If telling the truth is extremism, then we are happy to be extremists.'