Maria Alyokhina and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova of Pussy Riot have been detained in Sochi while preparing for a demonstration. They have been detained as suspects for a “theft” in their hotel. The two were planning to perform a song called Putin Will Teach You To Love Your Motherland but were arrested “with force” along with several other activists, and taken to Adler police station. The detention is in fact the third during the last few days, however this is the first time they have been arrested and loaded into a police van. Two separate detentions occurred on the mornings of the 16th and the 17th. UPDATES TO FOLLOW
1850 GMT: Nadezhda Tolokonnikova posted the following on Twitter:
At the emergency ward. Our bruises and scratches were recorded with disdain. We’ve been referred to deputy chief Ogrutsov of the Sochi Department of Internal Affairs.
В травмпункте. Синяки и ссадины с пренебрежением зафиксировали. Ссылались на замначальника ОВД Сочи Огурцова pic.twitter.com/Dhrgn6jL0V
— Надя Толокно (@tolokno) February 18, 2014
1740 GMT: Photographer Yevgeny Feldman describes the police arrests and interrogations in a video on The Guardian
1524 GMT: Police in Sochi have issued a statement on the interrogation this morning of Tolokonnikova and Alyokhina. “In view of inquiries we have received regarding citizens N. Tolokonnikova and M. Alyokhina, as well as other citizens who were interrogated in Adler police station, we can report that they were interrogated in connection with complaints received from the hotel in which they are staying, concerning an incident of theft. Alongside N. Tolokonnikova and M. Alyokhina, all citizens staying at the hotel were interrogated.”
1512 GMT: CNN confirm that the group has been released from the police station.
1348 GMT: The New Republic’s Julia Ioffe has spoken to a lawyer for Pussy Riot:
Pussy Riot had come down to Sochi to do a performance piece called “Putin Will Teach You How to Love the Motherland.” “The police didn’t know how to neutralize them, so they made up a theft in the hotel,” a local lawyer told me as he drove to the station to which the Pussy Rioters were being driven.
Ioffe also translated a tweet from opposition leader Alexei Navalny:
“How stupid do you have to be to arrest Pussy Riot in Sochi during the Olympics?” opposition leader Alexei Navalny tweeted. “There is no Ketchum in the world that can help you on this one.”
Ketchum is a PR company that has worked for the Kremlin. The Interpreter translated an interview of a former member of Ketchum who spoke to The New Times in December. Read it here.
1342 GMT: Verzilov has just tweeted this from Adler police station, we’re awaiting more details. “Released!”
Освободили! pic.twitter.com/yWtPzzKnPZ — группа война (@gruppa_voina) February 18, 2014
1315 GMT: A crowd of journalists and supporters is gathering outside the Adler police station where the activists are being held.
1309 GMT: Alexei Navalny summarises what many are thinking right now:
Вот какими нужно быть идиотами, чтобы задержать пусси райотих в Сочи во время Олимпиады? Никакое агентство Ketchum не поможет здесь — Alexey Navalny (@navalny) February 18, 2014
Look, what sort of idiots do you have to be to arrest Pussy Riot in Sochi during the Olympics? There’s nothing the Ketchum agency can do to help here.
1231 GMT: News of the arrest first came from a tweet by Nadezhda Tolokonnikova:
Задержаны в районе Морпорта Сочи по подозрению в уголовном преступлении. — Надя Толокно (@tolokno) February 18, 2014
“Arrested in the Sochi Seaport area on suspicion of a criminal offence.” @gruppa_voina, Pyotr Verzilov, Tolokonnikova’s husband followed up with a photo and more details:
МОЛНИЯ. Толоконникова, Алехина и команда задержаны погранслужбой ФСБ, а затем полицией и угрозыском Сочи pic.twitter.com/f8gwSThjtU — группа война (@gruppa_voina) February 18, 2014
“BREAKING. Tolokonnikova, Alyokhina and their team were arrested by the Border Department of the FSB, and then by the police and the Sochi criminal investigative department.” The two were then loaded into a police van and driven to Adler Station.
Nadezhda Tolokonnikova wrote that
They dragged me face down on the parquet flooring through the assembly hall offices, twisted my hands and threw me on the floor. Putin will teach you to love the motherland!
Меня протаскали лицом в паркет по всему актовому залу отделения, заламывали руки и бросали на пол. Путин научит тебя любить родину! — Надя Толокно (@tolokno) February 18, 2014
She followed up that she and the other detainees will complain of this to the Investigative Committee. Maria Alyokhina described similar treatment:
Dragged up the stairs in the investigator’s office, everyone has bruises.
В кабинет следователя тащили по лестнице, у всех синяки. Поедем подавать заявление в СК. — Мария Алехина (@MashaAlekhina) February 18, 2014