Jihlava, South Moravia, Oct 30 (CTK) – Maria Alyokhina, from the Russian protest band Pussy Riot, presented her Zone of Law project, which supports people persecuted for political reasons and calls for improvement of conditions in Russian prisons, at the Inspiration Forum in Jihlava Friday.
Alyokhina was sent for two years in prison in 2012, along with another member of the Pussy Riot band, for playing a protest song against President Vladimir Putin in a Moscow Orthodox cathedral, which a Russian court classified as hooliganism motivated by religious hatred.
A video of the famous performance in the cathedral was Friday shown at the Inspiration Forum, which is organised within the Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival.
Alyokhina said she feels obliged to help defend human rights after what she saw in prison in Russia.
She said she knew of about 40 people persecuted for political reasons.
Alyokhina said she filed a complaint with the European court because Russian authorities refused to register Zone of Law as an organisation.
She said she wanted to release interviews with former prisoners and visit prisons.
Alyokhina said she appreciated the recent hanging of giant boxer shorts over the Prague Castle instead of the presidential flag by the Zhotoven group.
Czech President Milos Zeman criticised the Pussy Riot activists in the past.
