PUSSY RIOT MEMBERS DENIED POLITICAL ASYLUM IN SWEDEN

IT’S AN UNFORTUNATE SIGNAL TO ALL ACTIVISTS:“IF YOU’RE IN DANGER, NOBODY WILL HELP YOU”

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE


NEWS PROVIDED BY
Gold Altas

Lusine and Alexey's The Guardian interview with Luke Harding HERE:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jan/21/russian-activists-denied-asylum-sweden-fear-violence

PUSSY RIOT'S STATEMENT:
Our friends and comrades Lusine and Alexey, both artists, with their two little kids are at risk now because they were denied political asylum in Sweden. It's unfortunate not only for us, but for all democratic activists in Russia and another pro-authoritarian countries: "If you're in danger nobody will help you".

As Russian police say often in domestic violence cases, "There are not enough evidences that you're being beaten by your husband. Come to us when you're killed, and we'll investigate your murder". So Swedish immigration services do: we don't believe that you're in enough danger back home - go back, be killed and then..

We ask citizens of Sweden to question their authorities who make such inhumanly decisions and push them to grant an asylum for Pussy Riot's members and to other anti-authoritarian activists who're in troubles. Think of you being on Lusine and Alexey's place: you're fighting for democratic freedoms that we all enjoy and share, but when you're screwed by Putin's security forces, there is no one to help. We ask other countries besides Sweden to consider accepting Lusine and Alexey.

Lusine and Alexey moved to Sweden from Krasnodar, Russia, in 2017, because they have been systematically arrested and harassed at home. Lusine and Alexey took part in an infamous Pussy Riot's action at Sochi Olympics in 2014, when they were heavily whipped by cossacks (Russian paramilitaries). I was beaten too - it really hurts, and pain lasts for weeks after. Alexey suffered the most - among us he was the only one man in a woman's dress (which he put on in support of LGBT and queer values), and cossacks are known for being homophobes - they smashed his head with a guitar.

Throughout 2012-2013 Lusine and Alexey supported me and Masha Alekhina in jail on a daily basis - by doing numerous artworks, making activist camps outside our penal colonies protesting against harsh prison conditions, passing food and warm clothes to us. They would be arrested and harassed by ultra-right activists, but they did not care at that time and kept going.

In 2016 Alexey was arrested for making an action against repressions, tortures and against praising KGB heritage by Russian authorities; he spent 15 days in jail, and after his term he was threatened by cops that they'll open a criminal case against him, and he will spend the rest of his days in jail, and nobody will give a flying fuck since he's not that well-known Pussy Riot's member as Nadya (me) or Masha. Lusine has lost her job at the University of Krasnodar because of her political convictions, Alexey previously was fired from his workplace as well with the same reasoning.

Lusine, already pregnant, was hit by a thug when she was sitting at a cafe - the man screamed that "she hates Vladimir Putin". At this point Lusine and Alexey decided to leave Russia - it was not only about them, but about their lil kid.

Another Pussy Riot's activist David who took part in Sochi Olympics performance and run into huge trouble with Russian authorities because of that, fled to Spain, and Spain agreed (!) that he's in danger in Russia and granted him an asylum.

Stakes are high, danger is real. In the end of 2017 Krasnodar-based environmental activist Andrey Rudomakha (who was threatened by cops and thugs many times before) were attacked and beaten - he got traumatic brain injury and a broken nose. Needless to say, thugs who made it were never found because they were covered by the authorities.

You may ask me why I'm personally not in danger in Russia. As a matter of fact, I am, and I sometimes I can not stop thinking about it, feeling extremely insecure. I've noticed that I tend not to do any long-term plans, because somewhere in the back of my head I know that I can be arrested and put back in jail, or poisoned like Peter Verzilov (who's out of Russia since the poisoning), at any given moment. When I write songs, I realize that most of the things I say are pretty damn straight enough to bring me back to prison.

Did I think about leaving Russia? Many times. I respect Lusine and Alexey's decision to remove themselves and their kids from a place their freedoms and lives are always at risk. The difference between me, Lusine and Alexey is that because of my previous prison sentence I'm more known than they are, and, thus, more protected (to some extent).

I hope it will all sort out, and Pussy Riot members Lusine, Alexey and their two little sons will be in safety that they definitely deserve.

Thank you all,
Nadya & Pussy Riot

you can always contact us via pisyariotto@gmail.com

http://www.zona.media
(Pussy Riot's publication focused on Russian courts, law enforcement, and prison system)

Source Gold Altas

January 23, 2019 7:21am ET by Pressparty  

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