Pussy Riot Releases Letter From Jail

Three members of the Russian punk group Pussy Riot who have been held in jail since March have released a letter thanking their supporters and calling both sides to respectful dialogue. A trial date of July 30 was finally set for the three this week, but their detention was also extended for another six months. Meanwhile, Western musicians performing in Russia over the summer have been vocal in supporting the three women, and Amnesty International has declared them prisoners of conscience.

It’s possible that many people are seeing our behavior as impudence and insolence. It is not.

We are in a desperate situation, the kind where it’s difficult to remain aloof.

It’s been heartwarming to hear of those who are supporting us during this process, but the harshness and rudeness of our opponents is hard to understand even now. Either way, we want to express our gratitude towards the people who have been understanding and merciful, and call both sides to dialogue, not mutual condemnation.

We’d like to stress that we do not support violence, we have no grudges against anyone, our laughter is in some sense laughter through tears, and our sarcasm is a reaction to judicial lawlessness.

We ask both our defenders and those who are accusing us to be tactful, as painful and difficult as this may be.

Y. Samutsevich
N. Tolokonnikova
M. Alyokhina

Pussy Riot

Translation by theotherrussia.org.