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Court promises online broadcast of verdict reading at Pussy Riot trial

The court will allocate another hall to accommodate all journalists wishing to cover the trial

MOSCOW, August 9 (Itar-Tass) — Moscow's Khamovniki court said it will broadcast, on August 17, the verdict reading at the trial of three Pussy Riot punk group activists, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, Maria Alyokhina and Yekaterina Samutsevich, accused of hooliganism at the Christ the Savior Church earlier this year, the court's press secretary, Darya Lyakh, told Itar-Tass.

"The broadcast will be available on the court's website, with the view of providing complete access to online information," Lyakh said.

The court will allocate another hall to accommodate all journalists wishing to cover the trial. "Unlike the main hall, journalists will be able to sit when hearing the verdict, without having to stand as required by law," the spokeswoman noted.

On February 21, five masked young women in brightly colored clothes appeared in the Christ the Savior Church, ran onto the ambon before the altar and performed an indecent song for several minutes using the amplifiers they had brought along. They also shouted insults against the clergy and believers, as well as against the Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia Kirill.

They ignored the rebukes by the church attendants and believers, and fled as guards tried to detain them.

Police opened a criminal case under Article 21, Part 2 of Russia's Criminal Code /hooliganism/ which envisions a penalty of up to seven years.

Pussy Riot later claimed responsibility for the action. The group is notorious for similar actions such as the one in Red Square. The punk group placed on Live Journal a video report of the church prank.