A Russian court on Monday threw out appeals by Pussy Riot punk group members after they were sentenced to brief jail terms for invading the pitch at the World Cup final. The Moscow City Court upheld their 15-day sentences in police cells for breaching rules for spectators. “I consider the punishment lawful and well-founded,” said Judge Sergei Misyura in comments carried by RIA Novosti news agency. The activists — Veronika Nikulshina, Olga Kuracheva, Olga Pakhtusova and Pyotr Verzilov — were found guilty last week after their brief invasion dressed in police uniforms at the final between France and Croatia at Moscow’s Luzhniki stadium on 15 July.
The activists said the protest, accompanied by a statement and video, was aimed at highlighting abuses by Russian police.
Their stunt was watched by Russian President Vladimir Putin and French counterpart Emmanuel Macron as well as millions of viewers around the world. Read more