Yekaterina Samutsevich
Yekaterina Stanislawowna Samuzewitsch (Russian Екатерина Станиславовна Самуцевич; born August 9, 1982 in Moscow, Soviet Union) is a Russian political activist and performance artist. She gained international fame as a member of Pussy Riot.
Life
Yekaterina Stanislawowna Samuzewitsch was born in Moscow. After graduating as a computer scientist at the Rodchenko School of Photography and Multimedia ( Московская школа фотографии и мультимедиа имени Родченко ) in Moscow, she worked for two years as a programmer for the armaments company Morinformsistema - Agat.
Artist collective Voina
After she had enrolled in a photography school, she joined as Nadezhda Tolokonnikowa in 2007 the artists' collective Voina on. Among other things, she took part in the action in which they kissed with Tolokonnikowa and other activists, police officers on duty.
Pussy Riot
Prior to the Russian presidential election of 2012 she participated as an active member of Pussy Riot Putin - critical performance actions. To draw international attention, the group passed through the so-called " punk prayer " against the Russian Patriarch Kirill I and Vladimir Putin on 21 February 2012 at Christ the Savior Cathedral in Moscow.
Arrest and conviction
As a result of this action Samuzewitsch was taken along with Marija Aljochina and Nadezhda Tolokonnikowa in custody. Against the three activists were charged with gross violation of public policy ( hooliganism ), by section 213 of the Criminal Code, Russian. In July 2012, the investigation was completed and officially filed charges. On August 17, 2012, they were convicted of " hooliganism from religious hatred ", while the three activists on August 27, 2012 unsuccessfully appealed for. Yekaterina Samuzewitsch explained in her closing argument:
"Normally it is expected that defendants show in the final word of remorse, regret the fact committed, or to enumerate mitigating circumstances. For me and my colleagues that is absolutely unnecessary. [ ... ] Once again sees Russia in the eyes of the world community different than Vladimir Putin wants to show it in its daily international meetings. All promised he steps on the way to the rule of law have been quite obviously not complete. "
Despite ongoing solidarity rallies after the arrest and conviction of the presence of Pussy Riot in the Christ the Savior Church was negative by the majority in the Russian public and the court ruling evaluated mainly in agreement.
Appeals process and release
In contrast to the unsuccessful appeal of Aljochina and Tolokonnikowa, Ekaterina Samuzewitschs sentence from the Moscow Criminal Court on 10 October 2012, converted into a two -year suspended sentence. Was represented by a new lawyer, Irina Chrunowa that prompted the Court to examine the case of her client separately. Chrunowa argued that Samuzewitsch not "to the actions as hooliganism" were called, could have participated because they had been removed prior to the performance of " Punk Prayer " by the security forces from the church. "Although I am absolutely in solidarity with my band colleagues, I think I can be considered only for actions, is that I have actually committed " Samuzewitsch said after her release.
Others
A Punk Prayer and the Russian Independent Production Pussy vs: Documents the preparations for the "Punk Prayer " and the process in the Russian-American documentary Pussy Riot have been. Putin, as well as in the feature film The Moscow Trials in which they appeared as actress.