Canadian electro-punk performance artist Peaches has joined the growing chorus of support for Pussy Riot, the feminist band on trial in Russia for its anti-Kremlin performance inside an Orthodox church.
Peaches, a Toronto native who lives in Germany, is set to release the video for her new song, 鈥淔ree Pussy Riot,鈥� on her Facebook page next week, ahead of the court verdict expected on Aug. 17.
Three members of the Russian punk-rock collective -- Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, 23, Maria Alekhina, 24, and Yekaterina Samutsevich, 29 -- were jailed after performing what they called a 鈥減unk prayer鈥� against Russian President Vladimir Putin inside a Moscow cathedral in February.
They鈥檝e been in prison for months on charges of hooliganism motivated by religious hatred. If convicted, the women face at least three years in prison.
The band鈥檚 arrest has been denounced by entertainers and human rights鈥� groups around the world who see the women as political prisoners and say their trial is just another example of Putin鈥檚 iron fist rule.
Peaches told 麻豆影视 Channel Friday that 400 people recently joined her in a Berlin park to film the video after she put out a call for volunteers on social media.
Many of them wore brightly coloured balaclavas -- Pussy Riot鈥檚 signature accessory -- and carried signs calling for the band members鈥� release.
Although Pussy Riot has received support from celebrities like Madonna, Peaches said she wanted to highlight what 鈥渦nderground鈥� artists were doing to support the young Russian women whose act of rebellion made headlines around the world.
She said 鈥渁 lot of creative people鈥� across Europe were drafting petitions on Pussy Riot鈥檚 behalf, 鈥渂ut they had no voice.鈥�
鈥淚 wanted to be a bridge,鈥� Peaches said of her new song and video, noting that she had been a fan of Pussy Riot well before the band鈥檚 arrest thrust the women into the international spotlight.
鈥淚 know that if I lived in Russia, that could have been me,鈥� said Peaches, who is known for her provocative performances and sexually explicit lyrics.
鈥淭his is much larger than just the three of them.鈥�
