Madonna Backs Pussy Riot

Madonna urged the release of the three members of Russian protest group Pussy Riot at a concert last night night, making her the highest-profile international star to come out in support of the feminist trio, who are on trial for carrying out a “punk prayer” in a Moscow cathedral. The U.S. singer told fans at Moscow’s Olimpiysky Stadium that Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, 22, Maria Alekhina, 24, and Yekaterina Samutsevich, 29, had acted bravely in performing the “prayer”, which called on the Virgin Mary to “drive out” President Vladimir Putin. Earlier in the day, a federal prosecutor had demanded Tolokonnikova, Alekhina and Samutsevich be jailed for three years for “abusing God” during the cathedral performance in February. The defendants were charged with "hooliganism motivated by religious hatred."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/russia/9460580/Madonna-Pussy-Riot-have-done-something-courageous-and-deserve-freedom.html
http://www.echo.msk.ru/blog/echomsk/917160-echo/ (video)