Release Pussy Riot: Johnny Marr, Jarvis Cocker, Kate Nash and Alex Kapranos Call on Putin to Act

The arrest of Pussy Riot has forced a horde of celebrities including Jarvis Cocker, Alex Kapranos, Johnny Marr and Kate Nash to call on the Russian President Putin to order the release of the iconic band. The musicians have signed a letter calling on the Russian leader to order the release of the punk group. In any case they are using the opportunity of an official visit to the UK to make the demands. It is not clear whether Vladimir Putin is going to pay any attention to their requests.

- The high profile arrest of Pussy Riot: Today the Russian president arrives in the UK capital on an official visit. He will meet the British Prime Minister David Cameron. The arrest of the band members is likely to be raised as a human rights issue and the Russians are likely to offer a spirited response.

The three members of the group are Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, Maria Alekhina and Yekaterina Samutsevich. They were arrested this March as they staged a protest against Putin’s re-election to the Russian Presidency. Currently they are in custody facing trial and could face up to seven years in jail if convicted of hooliganism charges. A roll call of artists wrote in the Times to condemn the charges which they insist are preposterous. Neil Tennant of the Pet Shop Boys, Micachu, Cornershop and ‘The Joy Formidable’ have joined the efforts.

Art and the tyrants

The artists express concern about the treatment meted out to Pussy Riot since their arrest and trial. In any case they feel that a minor breach of the peace at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow was a legitimate form of protest. Of course we have to remember that Russia is a long way from the Liberal democracies of the West. Although the artists claim that dissent is right in a democracy, they are rather over-stating the democratic credentials of a regime that regularly harasses its opponents.

At the beginning of the week, there were harrowing images as the three members of the band were led into a court. Handcuffed and locked in something that looked like a cage, they bore testament to a regime that is a long way from being described as being liberal. Tolokonnikova said that they would not plead guilty but might be prepared to apologize for their actions. As for the British Prime Minister, the artists may be backing up the wrong tree. Britain is not likely to let its interests get in the way of human rights.