On February 21, 2012, five members[1] of the group staged a performance on the soleas of Moscow’s Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, motivated by their opposition to the Russian President Vladimir Putin and the politics of the Russian Orthodox Church.[2][3] Their actions were stopped by church security officials. On March 3, after a video of the performance appeared online, three of the group members were arrested and charged with hooliganism.[4]
Their trial began in late July and raised much controversy in Russia and globally. According to a poll by the Levada Center, 44% of Russians supported the trial and believed in its fairness, while 17% did not.[5] At the same time, the band members gained some noticeable support in Russia and internationally because of allegations of harsh treatment while in custody and the risk of a possible seven-year jail sentence.[6][7]
On August 17, 2012, the three members were convicted of hooliganism motivated by religious hatred (Article 213.2 of the Criminal Code) and each sentenced to two years imprisonment.[8][9] The Russian Orthodox Church issued a statement appealing to the authorities to show clemency, within the framework of the law.[10][11] The trial and conviction have attracted international criticism.[12] The foreign ministries of Germany and Sweden, together with representatives of the European Union and the United States, called the sentence “disproportionate”.[13]
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