Freed Pussy Riot Members to Speak at Amnesty International Concert
Pussy Riot members Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and Maria Alyokhina will make an appearance at Amnesty International‘s Bringing Human Rights Home concert in Brooklyn next month. The pair were freed in December after serving 21 months in prison for protesting Russian president Vladimir Putin. At the concert, the women will speak to the audience about prisoners of conscience – people jailed for their beliefs, race, gender or sexual orientation. As previously reported, the concert will also feature performances by Imagine Dragons, Flaming Lips, Lauryn Hill and more.
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“We are happy to support Amnesty International’s work on behalf of human rights and political prisoners,” a statement from the women said. “We, more than anyone, understand how important Amnesty’s work is in connecting activists to prisoners. A month ago we were freed from Russian prison camps. We will never forget what it’s like to be in prison after a political conviction.”
Following their release, Tolokonnikova and Alyokhina announced they would be starting their own human rights organization, which they’ve named Zone of Law, and remained committed to getting Putin out of office. “We intend to help with the advancement and reaction to complaints of prisoners about the conditions of their incarceration,” Tolokonnikova said. “We want to provide them with legal aid.”
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Amnesty International announced the return of its Human Rights Concert earlier this month. From 1986 to 1998, the organization staged concerts to raise awareness of human rights. Performers at those shows included U2, Sting, Peter Gabriel, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, New Kids on the Block and Radiohead, among many others. This year’s concert, in addition to the artists above, will feature appearances by Tegan and Sara, the Fray, Cold War Kids, Cobie Caillat and Cake. The event’s organizers intend to announce more performers.
The concert will take place at the Barclays Center on February 5th.