Photo: WENN.com
Kate Nash is amongst the stars of the music world who have spoken out against the Russian government's decision to jail Pussy Riot for two years.
The punk band were sentenced yesterday (Aug 17) with all three members being sent to prison for their part in a protest against President Vladimir Putin in February.
Speaking to the BBC about the decision, Kate Nash said: "I feel really sad, but I think people expected the verdict to be guilty. I think it's important for artists to be opinionated and it just seems messed up to me that you do that and then you are shut down.
Adding: "I am an opinionated person and I want to challenge the world I live in and challenge the government if I don't agree with them.
"It's just terrible, the way they've been treated throughout the trial. It's disgusting and it says a lot of sad things about this world we live in. It's really messed up and really twisted."
All three members of Pussy Riot have been sentenced to two years in prison each. The prosecution was seeking a three year sentence but mitigating circumstances such as the band having families, no previous, were taken into consideration.
The lawyer working for Maria Alyokhina, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, and Yekaterina Samutsevich, a Russian punk band who broke in to a Moscow church to protest against Vladimir Putin, previouslt said that he expected his clients to be jailed.
Speaking to Channel 4 he highlighted the fact that the judge in the trial has only acquitted one case of this nature from 178 cases in the past 3 years.
The Pussy Riot trial has picked up major traction after a number of high profile musicians called for Pussy Riot to be released from the jail they have awaited trial in since February. The trial has raised issues about human rights in Russia, especially after it was claimed the band members were denied food and water whilst in prison.
Paul McCartney, Madonna, Jarvis Cocker, Bjork and many more have all become involved in the case.
Vladimir Putin himself had also called for 'leniency' in the trial.
