Four members of Russia’s Pussy Riot protest group Pakhtusova is escorted from police custody
Four members of Russia’s anti-Kremlin “Pussy Riot” protest group who staged a pitch invasion during the World Cup final have been released from police custody after being detained for 16 days, their lawyer said on Wednesday.
The group served a 15-day sentence for running onto the pitch wearing police uniforms during the second half of the game between Croatia and France on July 15, briefly halting play. The group said the protest was meant to promote free speech and bring attention to what they regard as the corrupt policies of FIFA, soccer’s global governing body.
They were due to be freed on Monday, but were immediately detained after being released and held for another day before being finally let go late Tuesday, their lawyer, Nikolai Vasilyev, said.
Vasilyev added that it was unclear whether they will face further charges of disobeying the police and of holding a public event without prior permission, which the police had unsuccessfully tried to pin on them.
Those offences carry maximum jail terms of 10 and 15 days, respectively.
The group’s brief pitch invasion at Moscow’s main stadium in front of President Vladimir Putin and other high-ranking officials marked a rare security breach in the Russia-hosted World Cup.
“Pussy Riot” came to national prominence in 2012 when its members were jailed for staging a protest against Putin in a Russian Orthodox cathedral in Moscow. The group has since become a symbol of anti-Kremlin protest action.