Russian court rejects Pussy Riot protester's bid for release

A Russian court on Wednesday rejected a plea to release Pussy Riot punk band member Maria Alyokhina from prison where she is serving a two-year sentence for protesting in a Moscow cathedral, RIA news agency reported.   

"The court has ruled against granting the request," state-run RIA quoted the judge as saying. Alyokhina, 24, had asked to be freed to be with her five-year-old son and serve the remainder of the sentence when he is older.

Earlier, Alekhina asked to let her serve the rest of her two-year sentence when her 5-year-old son is a teenager, arguing that separation from her child now will do irreparable psychological damage.     

She petitioned the court in Berezniki, a remote Ural mountains town near where she is imprisoned, to make the extremely rare decision to let her defer her sentence until her young son is 14.     

She was convicted last year along with two other band members of hooliganism motivated by religious hatred for an anti-President Vladimir Putin stunt in Russia's main cathedral. One of the women had her sentence suspended on appeal.     

Alekhina told the court on Wednesday that while she wants her sentence deferred, she refused to plead guilty.     

"No one will force me to say I'm guilty  I have nothing to repent for," she said.     

Her 5-year-old son, Filipp, is going through his formative years and cannot be without her, she said.     

"I'm in a situation where I have to prove here that my son needs me, which is obvious," she said.     

Several dozen supporters and journalists gathered outside the Berezniki court building, which was guarded by riot police  a rare situation for the small town.


REUTERS/AP