"An official Pussy Riot social media account shared a statement, responding defiantly to the ruling, saying the band's members, who have lived in exile for years, were freer than those who try to silence us. We can say what I think about putin that he is an aging sociopath spreading his venom around the world like cancer, the statement said. In today's Russia, telling the truth is extremism. So be it we're proud extremists, then."
"The group's designation will make it easier for the authorities to go after the band's supporters in Russia or people who have worked with them in the past. This court order is designed to erase the very existence of Pussy Riot from the minds of Russians, the band said. Owning a balaclava, having our song on your computer, or liking one of our posts could lead to prison time."
A Moscow district court upheld prosecution requests to recognise Pussy Riot as an extremist organisation and to ban its activities across the Russian Federation. The ruling followed claims by the Prosecutor General's Office and was heard in a closed session. The exiled band said it will appeal and issued a defiant statement calling defenders freer than those who silence dissent and describing Vladimir Putin as an "aging sociopath." Authorities said the case referenced past actions including a 2012 cathedral protest and a 2018 World Cup stunt. The designation will enable prosecutions of supporters and associates and risks criminalising possession or sharing of the band's material.
Read at www.aljazeera.com
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