CIVIL RIGHTS DEFENDERS IN ALMEDALEN WEEK
Making Themselves Heard
PUSSY RIOT at
ALMEDALEN 2013
Every July, on the island of Gotland, Sweden, Almedalen Week draws together a collage of
influential opinion and decision makers from all spectrums of civil, political and media circles. In
2013 the loudest voice to attend the event belonged to the members of Pussy Riot.
Pussy Riot encompasses a feminist punk
band, art collective and art project – all
rolled into one. The group has become
known for speaking out against authorities
in Russia in areas of human rights, freedom
of expression, women’s rights and conditions in prisons.
The two-year prison sentence that was
handed down by the Russian courts to several members following a demonstration at
Christ the Saviour church in Moscow last
February, was a way to try to silence the
group, Serafima said. “It shows that the authorities are really afraid of us.”
Two members of Pussy Riot appeared in
Almedalen to speak about their ongoing
struggle. Their visit was planned in secret by
Swedish public relations practitioner, Ebba
Lindqvist in cooperation with Civil Rights
Defenders, singer songwriter Ane Brun, and
the People’s Houses and Parks Organisation.
Media during the event were asked not to
provide physical descriptions of Serafima
and Shaiba, and photographs of the Pussy
Riot members could only be taken if the
pair’s stocking masks concealed their faces.
“We try to be as careful as possible,” said
Shaiba. “The goal is not to end up in prison.” However, that may be easier said than
done. Since Vladimir Putin’s return as the
President of Russia in 2012, the human
rights situation has deteriorated severely
and the pressure on the civil society has
increased.
With Pussy Riot as inspiration, Swedish
artists joined forces in a new human rights
network called Art Makes a Stand, a network that brings artists and performers together to advocate for human rights
through arts. Ane Brun and Ebba Lindqvist
launched the network in 2013.
Using the pseudonyms, Serafima and Shaiba,
the pair appeared onstage at one Almedalen
event wearing stocking masks to protect
their identities. When asked why they have
chosen concert performances as a tool for
their protests against the situation in Russia,
Serafima replied through an interpreter:
“This is a method we have been using for a
long time. Music is a universal language that
is understood by many people and is not
dependent on their race or nationality.”
During Almedalen, the two Pussy Riot
members met with representatives from
the office of Swedish Minister for EU
Affairs Birgitta Ohlsson.
Ane Brun Photo: Knotan
With Pussy Riot as inspiration, Swedish artists
joined forces in a new human rights network
called Art Makes a Stand, a network that
brings artists and performers together
to advocate for human rights through arts.
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“We meet politicians and ask them to
try to influence opinions when they meet
politicians from our country,” Shaiba explained. “The laws are designed to silence
us, and it just shows that what we do is
right. We are not afraid. We know that we
are not alone,” Serafima concluded.