UPDATE: One of the members has since been freed, but the other two are, as of now, still doomed to the penal colony. We must keep the pressure up for their freedom!
The three members of Pussy Riot who were sentenced to two years in prison for singing an anti-Putin song have been doomed to serve their sentence in a far-off penal colony, from which they're already receiving death threats.
A lawyer for the group has been receiving threatening letters from the penal colony, hinting that the girls' lives would be in danger there. But the trip to the penal colony itself is life threatenining: twenty or more prisoners are packed into train cars meant for four people. According to Russia's prosecutor general, over 2,000 prisoners have died in or en route to Russian prisons over the last six months.
Two of the band members have young children who would have to travel for days to visit them in the remote penal colony.
Please urge Moscow officials to consider the women's safety and allow them to remain in Moscow.
To: Moscow Officials
We, the undersigned, are writing to support the request of Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, Maria Alyokhina and Yekaterina Samutsevich to serve their two year sentence in Moscow instead of a remote colony located hundreds of miles away.
A lawyer for the group has been receiving threatening letters from the penal colony, hinting that the girls' lives would be in danger there. The trip to the penal colony itself is life threatenining: twenty or more prisoners are packed into train cars meant for four people. Trips can take several days, during which prisoners are subject to hazing rituals. According to Russia's prosecutor general, over 2,000 prisoners have died in or en route to Russian prisons over the last six months.
Two of the band members have young children who would have to travel for days to visit them in the remote penal colony.
We urge you to consider the girls' safety and their families. Please allow them to remain in Moscow to serve their sentence. Thank you for taking the time to read and consider our petition.
