Bil Brown

⚠️ What does it effectively mean for Pussy Riot to be designated an extremist organization in Russia? The law is designed to erase Pussy Riot from the minds of Russian citizens. We’ve been radioactive for years, but being designated as an extremist organization gives the state more legal tools to punish people for any association with us. For example, photographers who worked with us in Europe and the US have asked us not to credit them because they fear for their families still living in Russia or Belarus. Every time you mention Pussy Riot — whether in media or even on social platforms — you would be required to add a disclaimer stating: “designated as an extremist organization in the Russian Federation; the organization’s activities are prohibited on the territory of the Russian Federation.” And you can't say good things about us, or it'd be considered partaking in extremism. The law works retroactively, meaning that anyone who has ever supported Pussy Riot could now face imprisonment. Sharing our social media posts can be classified as supporting extremism, and therefore become grounds for a prison sentence. This also affects our families — any financial transaction with us can be framed by Russia’s corrupted legal system as financing extremism, which also carries a prison sentence. If the court rules in favor of the designation, Pussy Riot will effectively become “those who cannot be named” in Russia and in countries that cooperate with Russia on extradition — including Belarus, Georgia, Armenia, Iran, China, India, Thailand, Indonesia, and many others. Our primary concern is safety of Pussy Riot supporters who are unable to leave Russia, or who choose to stay there for ideological reasons. Anyone traveling to Russia or to countries that extradite to Russia — even simply to visit elderly parents — is at risk.