Russia Ordered to Compensate Pussy Riot Members

The European Court of Human

In February 2014, members of the punk band were violently attacked during a performance. Now, the European Court of Human Rights has sentenced Russia to pay a fine, although the likelihood of payment is uncertain.

The incident from February 2014 in Sochi, Russia, was captured by the news agency AP and other media outlets and uploaded to YouTube. A small group of scantily clad young women donned balaclavas and began to sing.

Soon after, a group of so-called Cossacks appeared, men dressed in archaic uniforms, wielding whips and subjecting the women to physical abuse, even as one of them lay on the ground. However, the women persisted in their singing, with the chorus declaring, “Putin will teach you to love the homeland.”

They were sprayed with tear gas and forcibly dragged by their arms. The guitarist accompanying the song was struck on the head with the guitar, resulting in bleeding.

No legal action taken in Russia

As the uniformed men faced no legal consequences in Russia, the activists turned to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. This marks the second time that the court has dealt with state actions against the feminist punk band Pussy Riot.

In 2012, three members were sentenced to two years in prison in Russia following an action in a Moscow church. On that occasion, the European judges ruled that Russia should compensate them up to €16,000, acknowledging that they did not incite violence or hatred.

Despite the ruling, it remains uncertain whether Russia will comply with the court’s decision and provide compensation to the members of Pussy Riot.