Madonna Offers Support To "Courageous" Band Pussy Riot During Moscow Gig

8 August 2012, 12:04

The 'MDNA' star calls for the release of the punk group, who are facing jail over protest gig.

Madonna has publicly supported Pussy Riot, the Russian punk band who are facing jail accused of inciting religious hatred.

The 'Give Me All Your Luvin'' singer used her concert in Moscow this week to call for the release of the trio, Maria Alyokhina, 24, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, 22, and Yekaterina Samutsevich, 29.

Madonna briefly wore a balaclava – one of the band's trademark outfits – and bared her back to the audience with "Pussy Riot" written on it, before appealing for their release.

"I know there are many sides to every story, and I mean no disrespect to the church or the government, but I think that these three girls - Masha, Katya, Nadya - I think that they have done something courageous," she said.

"I know that everyone in this auditorium, if you are here as my fan, feels they have the right to be free,"

Prosecutors in Russia want the band jailed after they played a song attacking Russian leader Vladimir Putin at the altar of Moscow's main cathedral in February.

They have argued that their performance was against the head of the Russian Orthodox Church who had publicly backed Mr Putin.