Expert Whose Findings Led to Pussy Riot Charges Won't Testify

Judge Marina Syrova on the sixth day of the Pussy Riot trial dismissed punk rock collective Pussy Riot’s motion to call to the stand an expert whose conclusions have served as the basis for charges against them. The defense submitted a motion to call Igor Ponkin to the stand on Monday. The expert's conclusions about the vulgarity of their protest in the Christ the Savior Cathedral have been used as the basis of charges against them. According to attorney Violetta Volkova, experts constantly say that the punk prayer was directed against Orthodox believers, but they do not provide any grounds for their conclusions about the protest's vulgarity.

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