Moscow court again extends pre-trial detention of Pussy Group members

A Moscow court has prolonged until at least July 24 the pretrial detention of Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, Yekaterina Samutsevich, and Maria Alyokhina, three members of the female punk rock group Pussy Riot, which is accused of hooliganism.

On June 20, the court is also expected to decide whether it will extend the detentions of two other Pussy Riot members.

The trio was arrested in February after the group launched into a protest song at Moscow’s Christ the Savior Cathedral which criticized veteran leader Vladimir Putin’s continued rule of Russia.

A previous court ruling extended the detention of the trio from April 24 to June 24. 

No date has been set for the trial of the young women, who face up to seven years in jail.

On June 20, police detained at least five supporters of the band who held a protest action outside the court.