Maria Alyokhina
| Maria Alyokhina | |
|---|---|
_at_the_Moscow_Tagansky_District_Court_-_Denis_Bochkarev.jpg) Alyokhina in 2012 | |
| Native name | Мари́я Влади́мировна Алёхина |
| Born |
June 6, 1988 Moscow, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union |
| Nationality | Russian |
| Education | Institute of Journalism and Creative Writing |
| Occupation | Political activist, student, musician |
| Organization | Pussy Riot |
Criminal charge | Hooliganism motivated by religious hatred |
Criminal penalty | 2 years imprisonment |
Criminal status | Pardoned and released on December 23, 2013 |
Maria Vladimirovna Alyokhina (Russian: Мари́я Влади́мировна Алёхина; born June 6, 1988 in Moscow)[1] is a Russian political activist. She was a member of the anti-Putinist[2] punk rock group Pussy Riot. On August 17, 2012, she was convicted of “hooliganism motivated by religious hatred” for a performance in Moscow’s Cathedral of Christ the Saviour and sentenced to two years imprisonment. She has been recognized as a political prisoner by the Union of Solidarity with Political Prisoners.[3] Amnesty International named her a prisoner of conscience due to “the severity of the response of the Russian authorities.”[2]
She is a fourth-year student at the Institute of Journalism and Creative Writing in Moscow. She is a poet and participant of the literature courses of Dmitry Vedenyapin and Alexey Kubrik.[4] She is an environmental activist with Greenpeace Russia, and has opposed development projects in the Khimki Forest. She was a volunteer at Children’s Psychiatric Hospital in Moscow. She has a five-year-old son, Philip. She is a vegan and reportedly collapsed from hunger during the trial, as no vegan meals were provided in detention.[5] She played an active role in the Pussy Riot trial: cross-examining witnesses, and aggressively questioning the charges and proceedings.[6] She said in her closing statement:[7]
For me, this trial only has the status of a "so-called" trial. And I am not afraid of you. I am not afraid of lies and fiction, of the thinly disguised fraud in the sentence of this so-called court. Because you can only take away my so-called freedom. And that is the exact kind that exists now in Russia. But nobody can take away my inner freedom.
Alyokhina was released from prison on December 23, 2013[8] under an amnesty bill passed by the Russian Duma, allowing the release of several inmates. Following her release, Alyokhina went to meet with human rights activists.
References
- ↑ "Дело группы Pussy Riot". March 23, 2012.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Russia: Release punk singers held after performance in church". Amnesty International. April 3, 2012. Archived from the original on 23 Jul 2012.
- ↑ "Троих предполагаемых участниц Pussy Riot признали политзаключенными" [Three of the alleged participants of Pussy Riot recognized as political prisoners]. Росбалт (in Russian). March 25, 2012. Archived from the original on 2012-09-12. Google translation.
- ↑ "Литературная карта России: Студия: Мария Алехина".
- ↑ Robert Mackey (August 15, 2012). "Actress Writes to Putin to Demand Vegan Meals for Jailed Punk Protesters". The Lede (The New York Times). Retrieved August 22, 2012.
- ↑ Miriam Elder (August 8, 2012). "Pussy Riot profile: Maria Alyokhina: Unofficial spokeswoman for Pussy Riot, Maria Alyokhina has challenged witnesses and remains defiant over the charges". The Guardian (Moscow). Retrieved August 9, 2012.
- ↑ "'Так называемый процесс'". Novaya Gazeta. 8 August 2012. Retrieved 3 December 2012.
- ↑ "Pussy riot member released". December 23, 2013.