Pussy Riot sentenced for two years on charges of hooliganism

In a widely followed case, three members of the Russian punk band Pussy Riot have been sentenced for two years in jail after they staged an anti-Vladimir Putin protest in a Moscow cathedral.

Judge Marina Syrova read out the sentence to the three women, accusing them of hooliganism driven by religious hatred, stating that they had "crudely undermined social order."

The women in their defense said that the protest, which they staged early February, was aimed at the Russian Orthodox Church leader’s support for Mr. Putin.

The sentence is being criticized by the US, UN and EU, referring to it as "disproportionate."

Prosecutors were aiming for a three-year jail sentence for the women.

Judge Syrova said that Maria Alyokhina, 24, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, 22, and Yekaterina Samutsevich, 29, had insulted and hurt the feelings of Orthodox believers and exhibited a "complete lack of respect."

"Tolokonnikova, Alyokhina and Samutsevich committed hooliganism - in other words, a grave violation of public order," she said, according to Yahoo News.

The punk rock group performed a flash mob-themed performance of their song adjacent to the altar in the cathedral on February 21.

Their short, explicit performance during which they asked the Virgin Mary to "throw Putin out," infuriated the Orthodox Church and its leader, Patriarch Kirill, said this was equivalent to blasphemy. The performance was stage two weeks before Putin was sworn in as president for a third term.

The three group mates watched the court’s proceedings from inside a glass-walled cage in the courtroom and when the verdict was announced they were all smiles. The verdict had been anticipated to go against their favor. Each defendant was meted out "two years deprivation of liberty in a penal colony."

People reacted to the verdict, lashing out at Putin. Opposition leader Alexei Navalny said, “Considering the nature and degree of the danger posed by what was done, the defendants' correction is possible only through an actual punishment."

While the verdict was being announced, the band supporters chanted against the sentence and one man in the courtroom got up and yelled “shame” at the sentencing.

The defendant’s lawyer, Nikolai Polozov, said they would file a legal appeal against the verdict, but would not ask for pardon from President Putin.