Pussy Riot: Members sentenced by Russian court

Five members of the punk collective Pussy Riot have been sentenced in absentia to prison terms by a Moscow court, according to the Art Newspaper.

Maria (Masha) Alekhina, Olga Borisova, Diana Burkott, Alina Petrova, and Taso Pletner face sentences ranging from eight to thirteen years, accused of spreading false information about the Russian army's actions.

The charges stem from a video the group released in 2022 titled 'The Cries of Mariupol', and their general activism against Putin.

Diana Burkott stated that she stands by every word she said and that her anti-war stance is clear.

According to UN figures, at least 13,883 civilians have lost their lives in Ukraine due to the Russian invasion.

Human Rights Watch estimates that 10,284 people were killed in Mariupol.

In 2022, Russian troops allegedly stole more than 2,000 works of art from museums in Mariupol.