Police in the canton of Bern arrested the controversial activists for an “action against the war”
Members of the Russian activist group Pussy Riot were arrested in the Swiss city of Koeniz on Monday night. The three women, Maria Alyokhina, Lucy Stein and Taso Pletner, were taken to a police station. “in handcuffs” after spraying graffiti on a wall by the side of a road, the group said on Facebook.
The cantonal police confirmed the “temporary arrest of three Russian citizens” but did not provide details about his identity for data protection reasons. Officers arrived at the scene after receiving a report that people were painting graffiti and discovered the three with spray cans in their hands, Swiss media reported.
The Pussy Riot stated on Facebook that they were looking to set up a “action against war” spraying graffiti with the word ‘war’ and the distance between Switzerland and Ukraine to apparently remind people that “War is not far away.” They also claimed to have successfully done the same thing in other European cities. The activist group said that the police had told them that the three women could “face a fine and…even deportation from Switzerland.”
However, the police released the three after brief questioning and even escorted them to their hotel. Olga Borisova, another member of the group, confirmed that they were released in the early hours of Tuesday. Police also contacted the owner of the wall, a police spokeswoman said. The owner could potentially file a complaint over the activists’ actions, Swiss media said.
Pussy Riot gained international notoriety in 2012 when the members were arrested after performing a provocative punk rock song at Moscow’s Cathedral of Christ the Savior. Three members, including Alyokhina, were sentenced to two years in prison on charges of “hooliganism motivated by religious hatred”.
The group is currently in what it calls a “European tour.” Last week, the Russian embassy in Bern protested the fact that some Swiss places are providing activists with places for their “performances” – which usually include “obscene actions that are beyond any decency” standards, as well as insults against Russia and its leadership, the embassy said in a statement. Such actions are prohibited under Swiss law, which prohibits public insults against foreign states and their top officials, she added.