Pussy Riot nonsense? Hold your opinions.

L’affaire des Pussies

Editor’s Note:  I copy below a HuffPo report on the “Pussy Riot” case, a strange development which, if true, certainly casts a bad hue on Vladimir Putin, and on the government’s appeal to nationalism—which may be necessary in his eyes at this point—through the support of organized superstition, in this instance, the still popular Russian Orthodox Church. If true, that’s bad, really bad, for its shows, as some have claimed (more on that below), that the separation of Church and state is blurring in Russia, precisely as it becomes, de facto, increasingly murky in the United States itself.

Meantime, the controversy about the infamous performance of the punk girl band at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior—and their sentence to a couple of years in jail—continues in Russia for three weeks already. By any reckoning it’s a confusing mess and it shows no signs of abating any time soon. 

To most Western eyes the reaction by the authorities to the prank ranges from ludicrous to alarming. All the appearances are damning, indeed. The trial and sentence—as reported in the West—is a deplorable, humorless example of judicial excess (dumb, too, in terms of national images, something at which the United States excels.)

Under normal circumstances I would be ready to pass my own condemnatory judgment on the situation, but there’s no “normal” anymore, and most of the news sources furiously peddling the story have a long history of invidious and tendentious reporting.  Not to mention that the whole thing has the stench of possibly a bold Western black op to embarrass Putin and Russia, in general. In the grand scheme of world politics, with Syria, Iran, and ultimately Russia itself at stake, ask yourselves: who stands to win by discrediting the Russkies? Outside Russia, who gains the most by assassinating the image of the Russian leader? It’s been said many times already that the US is out to destabilize Putin. The verdict against these women seems too damn convenient for the propaganda mills of the West. Which is not to deny, again, that a verdict like this is a tactless abomination.

While all the above may be true, caution is in order. Consider that when we look at this “Pussy Riot” from a broader perspective it undeniably has the aura of something we have seen before.  Remember the Kony brouhaha? That black propaganda effort also seemed to come out of nowhere, and quickly disappeared, but not without strengthening the hand for US intervention in Africa (which is happening stealthily anyway), and giving imperial assault in general a momentary facelift.

With these rockers, all the telltale signs are also there, and writ large, too: the outrageousness of the situation, the type of “black & white” moral case that  even a 5 year old can grasp; the mawkish choice of victims: with Kony, it was defenseless children, with this trial, smacking of the Inquisition, a bunch of harmless “ultra-liberated” feminist punk rockers—supposedly bent on dissing an established church—a big plus for many, including me.  Quickly add to this volatile mix the righteous parade of the politically clueless celebs: Madonna,  Paul McCartney and their ilk, all denouncing the punishment meted out as a mockery of justice (about which, for once, they may be right).  Lastly, throw in the spontaneous (?) demonstrations around the world in support of the accused, and, naturally, the Western media’s lynching mood.

Is there another way of looking at this? Apparently yes.  This is what Mikhail Sineinikov, writing for English Pravda, opines:

Other musicians, singers, directors and other professional intellectuals gladly took part in the Russian national pastime of writing collective letters. They signed a petition that said “the girls did not kill or rob anyone, they didn’t commit violence, nor did they destroy or stole someone else’s property.” “Russia is a secular state, and no anti-clerical actions, unless they fall under the Criminal Code, can serve as a cause for prosecution,” the petition said.

For signatories’ information, “anti-clerical actions” can serve as a “cause.” Read the law (signed by Boris Yeltsin, America’s favorite stooge, no less—Eds), “On Freedom of Conscience, Religion and Religious Associations” Article 3, Paragraph 6: “Holding public events, placing texts and images that offend religious feelings of citizens near the objects of worship is prohibited.”

Article 26 of the same law runs: “Violating legislation of the Russian Federation about freedom of conscience, religion and religious associations entails criminal, administrative and other responsibilities.” This is for those who may want to repeat the “heroism” of Pussy Riot, so that they do not say “We did not even expect …” afterwards.

And finally, here is a “parallel”, find-differences type of story. In June 1977, [the] British punk rock band Sex Pistols “glorified” the Queen of England (the Queen for Britons is almost like the patriarch and the president combined for Russians).

They “glorified” Queen Elizabeth II with the use of foul language, including these words: “God save the queen / A fascist regime / They made you a moron.” They performed the song on board a boat on the Thames. The boat stopped right opposite the Houses of Parliament. Very soon, the police arrested the singers right on that boat.

The story did not lead to considerable legal consequences for the musicians. They were fined, their concerts were banned. There were physical consequences, though. Five band members were severely beaten one by one, during a few days and in different places. One of them had his nose and leg broken, another one was cut with a razor, the third one had his arm crippled for the rest of his life. The fourth had 15 stitches on, and the fifth musician had his face disfigured. The criminals were not found, although a number of British publications received messages saying “Don’t you dare to insult our Queen!”

Daria Sivashenkova, also writing (poorly in translation) for Pravda.ru, advances an even more scathing analysis:

The forces that tried to benefit from the infamous punk prayer at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior emerged instantly. Russian so-called “liberals” (the pro-west chorus) are trying to set the young women up as they want the West to recognize them…as “prisoners of conscience” and even martyrs for freedom of speech.

“This is the first time in Russia when people were arrested on charges of blasphemy. Previously, such cases would be limited to only fines. This has destroyed the last barrier on the way to Russia’s transformation into the clerical state, in which a conflict with church policies is equated to criminal offense. In this case, investigation, prosecutors and court are used to attack the foundations of the constitutional system that guarantees the secular character of the state.

“This arrest shows that the church is merging with the state, and justice is turning into Orthodox Inquisition. We urge to immediately release the detainees and cease their criminal prosecution. We consider the arrested Maria Alyokhina and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova to be the prisoners of conscience. They are being persecuted for expressing their views. We call upon international organizations to recognize them as such. We urge everyone to launch a public campaign in their defense – as a pledge for return of our country to the norms of a democratic state.”

The above is the appeal to the West that was published on the website of the Movement For Human Rights. The message evokes very sad feelings indeed. No one will ever dare to bomb Russia, as they bombed Libya in the name of “the norms of the democratic constitutional state.” No one will dare to corner and blackmail Russia as they blackmail Syria. But the message from the “liberals” is obvious: save us from the evil state and the evil Church – save us from that at any cost.

It seems that the girls from Pussy Riot became a bargaining chip for the liberals, who are accustomed to ask “civilized” Europe for salvation.

Now, people, I’m not saying that I’m 100% convinced this entire embarrassing affair is not as reported by the Western media.  Call it stumbling upon the Unicorn, but it may well be.  Powerful as the American tentacles are across the globe, as far as I can tell they do not yet control the Russian judicial apparatus, nor for that matter, Putin’s position on this issue.  But we have been burnt before, sucker-punched way too many times, and we should know by now that when it comes to any major item concerning Russia, and countless other sensitive topics, the fix is in. The only question is how much spin is employed and for what purposes. This could well be a carefully mounted provocation. What if these women were paid an ungodly sum to stage this nonsense with the assurances that after serving whatever time they would be sprung to the West, to fame and a hefty bank account? It’s not as far fetched as it sounds. The economic situation in Russia is desperate for many. And gullibility is universal. Russia is now divided on this issue; Putin probably embarrassed. In the game of international politics, that would be—quite literally—a very cheap operation with a huge payoff.  If you were a Western intelligence chief, wouldn’t you be tempted?

—Patrice Greanville

Pussy Riot Trial: Feminist Punk Band Guilty Of Hooliganism, Motivated By Religious Hatred

 MOSCOW — Three punk rock-style activists who briefly took over a cathedral in a raucous prayer for deliverance from Vladimir Putin were sentenced to two years in prison for hooliganism on Friday, a decision that drew protests around the world as it highlighted the Russian president’s intensifying crackdown on dissent.

Protesters from Moscow to New York and musicians including Madonna and Paul McCartney condemned the prosecution of the three women, members of a band called Pussy Riot. Several countries, including the U.S., and even some Kremlin loyalists decried the verdict.

Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, 22, Maria Alekhina, 24, and Yekaterina Samutsevich, 30, were arrested in March after performing a “punk prayer” in Christ the Savior Cathedral, dancing and high-kicking as they called on the Virgin Mary to save Russia from Putin, who was elected to a third term as Russia’s president two weeks later.

Judge Marina Syrova ruled Friday that the band members had “committed hooliganism driven by religious hatred.” She rejected the women’s arguments that they were protesting the Russian Orthodox Church’s support for Putin and didn’t intend to offend religious believers.

Putin himself had said the band members shouldn’t be judged too harshly, creating expectations that they could be sentenced to time served and freed in the courtroom. This, however, would have left the impression that Putin had bowed to public pressure, something he has resisted throughout his 12 years in power.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Putin couldn’t intervene in the judicial process and refused to comment on the sentence.

When the sentence was announced, shouts of “down with the police state” rose from a crowd of hundreds of Pussy Riot supporters outside the courtroom. More than 50 people were detained, including former world chess champion Garry Kasparov, who said police beat him.

Protesters donned the colorful balaclavas that have become a symbol of the band in many European and U.S. cities, though no single protest outside Moscow drew more than a few hundred people.

In Kiev, Ukraine, four women, one of whom was topless, used a chainsaw to cut down a cross. About 40 protesters gathered in New York held up banners that read: “We are all hooligans.”

The crowd in Moscow included many of the prominent writers, journalists and opposition partisans who spearheaded the mass protests that shook the city over the winter and spring. Pussy Riot was an obscure band of activists for much of that time, and some fellow opponents of Putin disapproved of their tactics, but they rallied to the group’s defense after the March arrests.

For three hours as the judge read the verdict, the defendants stood in handcuffs in a glass cage in the courtroom, the same one where oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky, another Putin opponent, was convicted two years ago.

The three women smiled sadly as the judge recounted testimony of prosecution witnesses accusing them of sacrilege and “devilish dances” in the church and said that their feminist views made them hate the Orthodox religion.

Tolokonnikova laughed out loud when the judge read the testimony of a psychologist who said that her “active stance on social issues” was an anomaly.

The three women remained calm and kept smiling after the judge announced the sentence. Someone in the courtroom shouted “Shame!” They waved at relatives from behind the glass.

The charges carried a maximum penalty of seven years in prison, though prosecutors had asked for a three-year sentence.

Popular Russian author Boris Akunin, a supporter of Pussy Riot who was outside the courthouse, said Putin “has doomed himself to another year and a half of international shame and humiliation.”

“The whole thing is bad because it’s yet another step toward the escalation of tensions within society. And the government is absolutely to blame,” he said.

Defense lawyers said they would appeal but had little hope that the verdict would be overturned. “This verdict is the result of a political decision in the Kremlin, made by Vladimir Putin,” said Mark Feygin.

He said the women would not ask for a pardon from Putin. “They will not beg and humiliate themselves before such a bastard,” he said.

Another sign of the defendants’ resolve came in a new song the band released Friday on the Internet: “Putin Is Lighting the Fires of Revolution.”

Samutsevich’s father said he had met with his daughter before the court session and she was prepared for a prison sentence. “We tried to comfort her,” said Stanislav Samutsevich.

Amnesty International, which has called the women prisoners of conscience, said the court ruling “shows that the Russian authorities will stop at no end to suppress dissent and stifle civil society.”

Governments including the United States, Britain, France and Germany denounced the sentences as disproportionate.

President Barack Obama was disappointed by the decision, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said. “While we understand the group’s behavior was offensive to some, we have serious concerns about the way that these young women have been treated by the Russian judicial system,” he said.

Further controversy was stirred up by the detention of Kasparov, now one of Putin’s fiercest critics. He said he was beaten by the police who detained him, but police claimed that he bit an officer’s finger. After his release, Kasparov tweeted that he was going to an emergency room “to check my injuries and to prove that I am not drunk and haven’t bitten anyone.”

The Pussy Riot case has helped to energize the opposition. Protest leader Alexei Navalny condemned the verdict as a “cynical mockery of justice” and said the opposition would step up its protests.

Even some Kremlin loyalists strongly criticized the verdict. Former Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin said it has dealt “yet another blow to the court system and citizens’ trust in it.”

`’The country’s image and its attractiveness in the eyes of investors have suffered an enormous damage,” he said.

Mikhail Fedotov, the head of a presidential advisory council on human rights, voiced hope that the sentence will be repealed or at least softened. Mikhail Barshchevsky, a lawyer who represents the Cabinet in high courts, said that the verdict had no basis in Russian criminal law.

The Pussy Riot case has underlined the vast influence of the Russian Orthodox Church. Although church and state are formally separate, the church identifies itself as the heart of Russian national identity and critics say its strength effectively makes it a quasi-state entity. Some Orthodox groups and many believers had urged strong punishment for an action they consider blasphemous.

The head of the church, Patriarch Kirill, has made no secret of his strong support for Putin, praising his leadership as “God’s miracle,” and he described the punk performance as part of an assault by “enemy forces” on the church. He avoided talking to journalists Friday as he left Warsaw’s Royal Castle following a ceremony in which he and the head of Poland’s Catholic Church called for mutual forgiveness and reconciliation between the churches.

The Orthodox Church said in a statement after the verdict that the band’s stunt was a “sacrilege” and a “reflection of rude animosity toward millions of people and their feelings.” It also asked the authorities to “show clemency toward the convicted in the hope that they will refrain from new sacrilegious actions.”

A handful of Orthodox activists joined the crowd outside the courthouse. “I’m glad they were punished like criminals and didn’t get away with it,” said Dmitry Tsorionov, holding a Bible. “They committed a grave crime and nobody should do it again.”

The case comes in the wake of several recently passed laws cracking down on opposition, including one that raised the fine for taking part in an unauthorized demonstrations by 150 times to 300,000 rubles (about $9,000).

Another measure requires non-governmental organizations that both engage in vaguely defined “political activity” and receive funding from abroad to register as “foreign agents.” Putin has accused foreign countries of feeding much of the dissent in Russia.

___

Nataliya Vasilyeva, Lynn Berry, Mansur Mirovalev and Jim Heintz contributed to this report.

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