Dear Mr. President,

Please interfere with the course of the Pussy Riot case. In this case, three women -- Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, Maria Alyokhina and Yekaterina Samutsevich -- have been imprisoned for their suspected participation in a Pussy Riot “Punk Prayer” in the Temple of Christ the Savior on 21 February 2012. These women are charged with the Part 2 of Article 213 of the Russian Criminal Code, subsequently facing up to 7 years in prison.

First and foremost, I object classifying the performance of the Pussy Riot band in the Temple of Christ the Savior on 21 February 2012 as a criminal act because it does not contain component elements of a crime. Second, I oppose equating a conflict with the Russian Orthodox Church policy to criminal offence because the Constitution of the Russian Federation separates the Church from the State. Third, the detention of young women is not only unlawful, but also uncompassionate. Two of the three detainees are mothers of young children. Therefore, this illegal detention harms not only these innocent women, but also their young children who need and love their mothers.
 
Therefore, I urge you to immediately release Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, Maria Alyokhina and Yekaterina Samutsevich, cease their criminal prosecution, and thus preserve the secular state fundamentals guaranteed by the Constitution of the Russian Federation.

Sincerely Yours,
 
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