Wisdom Quarterly; Shaun Walker in Moscow, The Guardian, 9-23-13
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| Pussy Rioter describes conditions like Soviet-era Gulags in Prison Colony No. 14 (AP). |
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| Why I am on hunger strike |
When 16,000 California unattractive inmates launched a hunger strike, the mainstream media yawned. What will happen when one attractive woman does the same?
Nadezhda Tolokonnikova says she is made to work up to 17 hours a day and has had death threats from prison deputy.
A jailed member of the punk band Pussy Riot has launched a hunger strike to protest against slave-like living conditions and an alleged death threat from the deputy head of the prison where she is serving her two-year sentence.
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| Pro-Pussy Riot American protesters (scpr.org) |
Nadezhda Tolokonnikova has written a long letter detailing life inside prison colony No. 14 in the Russian region of Mordovia, revealing appalling conditions reminiscent of the Soviet Gulag system.
As part of her punishment she has to sew police uniforms, and she writes in her statement that all the prisoners in her sewing division are expected to work 16 or 17 hours a day, starting at 7.30 am and not finishing until after midnight.
"In the best case scenario we get four hours of sleep per night," writes Tolokonnikova. "We get a day off once every six weeks. Almost all Sundays are work days. Prisoners are forced to write requests to work on weekends saying it is their own voluntary decision."
Tolokonnikova was convicted of "hooliganism motivated by religious hatred" for her part in an impromptu Pussy Riot performance in Moscow's largest cathedral in February last year. The group, wearing balaclavas, mimed a song calling on the Virgin Mary to "kick out Putin"... More
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