Pussy RiotImprisoned 25-year-old Maria Alyokhina of Russian punk protest group Pussy Riot has been denied Parole at a hearing in Perm, 1,500km east of Moscow, overnight, Australian time.
Alyokhina, who was sentenced to two years in prison after being charged with “hooliganism on grounds of religious hatred”, has previously applied for early release in order to care for her five-year-old son, but the court once again failed to grant her parole as she sat in trial via videoconference from the Solikamsk prison in which she is held.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, at one stage, Alyokhina turned her back to the camera after conferring with her lawyer, saying she refused to take further part in the trial until she was brought to the courthouse to plead in person.
Amnesty International have issued a statement saying they believe this to be further suppression of freedom of expression from the Russian authorities.
"This decision is a further confirmation that the Russian authorities are uncompromising in their suppression of freedom of expression," said Denis Krivosheev, Amnesty International's Europe and Central Asia Deputy Program Director.
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“Maria Alekhina and the other two punk singers shouldn't have been arrested in the first place. They were deprived of their freedom solely for the peaceful expression of their beliefs and Amnesty International considers them to be prisoners of conscience. The Russian authorities must release Maria Alekhina and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova immediately and unconditionally and the sentences against them and Ekaterina Samutsevich should be overturned.”
The Amnesty representative goes on to say that it contravenes the country's obligations in regard to human rights.
“Today's court decision is meant to intimidate further free speech. It may be presented as principled but it reveals a trend of bullying critics in spite of the country's obligations to defend and promote human rights.”
Earlier this week a heap of musicians from around the world signed a letter in protest of the women's imprisonment.
A parole hearing for fellow imprisoned Pussy Riot member Nadezhda Tolokonnikova is scheduled to take place tomorrow, Russian time.
