A version of this article originally appeared on Noisey en Español.
Pussy Riot has once again captured the attention of media outlets around the world. During the final match of the 2018 FIFA World Cup, in which France and Croatia squared off for the championship title, four protesters linked to the feminist punk band took to the football pitch disguised in old Russian police uniforms. The group later claimed responsibility for the display, which they said was a protest against Russia’s lack of political competition and its police impunity.
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Minutes after the match ended and the French emerged victorious, Pussy Riot published the following statement on Facebook, accompanied by a video titled “Policeman enters the game”:
Earlier this morning, the four Pussy Riot members who were detained by the Russian police yesterday were transported to the Khamovnichesky Court of Moscow for an administrative offense hearing. At the time of this article’s publication, Veronica Nikulshina, the first member to face the court, was sentenced to 15 days of administrative arrest at a special prison and was banned from attending future sporting events.
UPDATE 7/16: The remaining three members, Olga Kurachova, Pyotr Verzilov, and Olga Pakhtusova, received the same sentence of 15 days of administrative arrest. All are banned from attending sporting events for three years.
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