Pussy Riot Members Sentenced to Prison for World Cup Protest

Yesterday (July 15), four Pussy Riot members rushed onto the field wearing police uniforms during the 2018 World Cup final in Moscow. All four protestors—Veronica “Nika” Nikulshina, Olga Kuracheva, Olga Pakhtusova, and Petya Verzilov—have been sentenced to “15 days in Russian jail,” their representatives confirm to Pitchfork. Additionally, they are prohibited from attending sports events for three years.

Following the on-field disruption, Pussy Riot claimed responsibility in a statement on social media. After saying it was a protest of Russia’s political and prison systems, they shared a list of demands to the Russian government: free political prisoners, end “illegal arrests at protests,” and “allow political competition in the country.”