Moscow, Aug 18 (IBNS): The jailing of three members of a punk band named 'Pussy Riot' for staging an anti-Putin punk prayer outside the Orthodox cathedral of Moscow drew sharp criticism worldwide on Saturday.
The incident dates back to March when the women entered the Cathedral of Christ the Savior and chanted prank prayers calling Virgin Mary to rid Russia of President Vladimir Putin.
The three female members Nadezhda Tolokonnikova (22), Maria Alyokhina (24) and Yekaterina Samutsevich (30) were convicted on charges of hooliganism and sentenced for a term of two years.
Human rights group along with European nations and United States strongly condemned Russia and stated this as violation to freedom of speech.
Nadezhda Tolokonnikova said, "We are happy because we brought the revolution closer!"
The Russian Orthodox Church on Friday in a statement said, "What happened is blasphemy and sacrilege, the conscious and deliberate insult to the sanctuary and a manifestation of hostility to millions of people."
European Union's foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton on Saturday said, "Together with the reports of the band members' mistreatment during pre-trial detention and the reported irregularities of the trial, it (the verdict) puts a serious question mark over Russia's respect for international obligations of fair, transparent and independent legal process."
Special Assistant to the President of America and Principal Deputy Press Secretary at White House, Josh Earnest in a statement said,"While we understand the group's behaviour was offensive to some, we have serious concerns about the way that these young women have been treated by the Russian judicial system."
