Anti-Putin punks declare innocence and regret at trial

Three members of an all-girl punk band yesterday voiced regret for causing offence by performing an anti-Vladimir Putin song in Russia’s main Orthodox cathedral but said they were innocent of the charges.

The three women – who face up to seven years in jail if found guilty of hooliganism – said they had wanted to change Russia with their action but could have made an “ethical” mistake by offending worshippers.

Initial hearings in the trial earlier this month saw the court order the three members of Pussy Riot, who are all in their 20s, to stay in detention until January 2013, a move their supporters condemned as travesty of justice.

All three told the judge at the Khamovnichesky court in Moscow they were innocent of the charges, in a process that is growing into a landmark event in the struggle between President Putin and Russia’s emboldened opposition.

In February, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, Yekaterina Samutsevich and Maria Alekhina climbed into an area reserved for priests in the Church of Christ the Saviour and performed a “punk prayer” against Mr Putin.

They were arrested in March and charged with hooliganism motivated by religious hatred of Orthodox believers.

The three have been held in detention ever since and their case has been taken up by celebrities including pop star Sting and US rockers the Red Hot Chili Peppers.