A judge handed down two-year prison sentences Friday afternoon to Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, 23, Yekaterina Samutsevich, 30, and Maria Alyokhina, 24, members of the political protest band “Pussy Riot”. The band is a militant, feminist punk group that is motivated by politics, not music–their typical M.O. is to stage flash concerts in historically significant places. The three were brought up on charges of “hooliganism”, stemming from a February incident where they filmed a music video for a profane song that asked the Virgin Mary to rid Russia of Vladimir Putin–inside Moscow’s main cathedral.

More on who Pussy Riot is and what they do from Feminspire’s Tricia Gilbride

Photo Credit: Mudrats Alexandra/Corbis

While the protests were clearly political in nature, the trial was based on the idea that they had victimized religious people, and they were accused of being motivated by religious hatred. They were accused of practicing satanism. While the women were clearly taking aim at Mr. Putin, not the church, the government can increase public support for their prosecution by painting it as a trial of indecent, satanist rabble-rousers. At the sentencing, while the band’s supporters yelled “Free Pussy Riot,” anti-Pussy Riot protesters yelled “Christ is risen!”

Anti-Pussy Riot protesters in Russia. Credit: RIA Novosti. Andrey Stenin

The judge in the case, Marina Syrova, stated that the three “expressed clearly and explicitly their hatred of Christianity,” and “Tolokonnikova, Alyokhina and Samutsevich committed hooliganism — in other words, a grave violation of public order,” while delivering her verdict. While the judge was speaking, the three stared at the ceiling and seemed bored, or smiled and laughed.

The trial has gathered international attention, more so than other Russian protests and demonstrations. The women have racked up a huge list of supporters, including Madonna and former Beatle Paul McCartney, who published a letter to the three on his website: 

Dear Nadya, Katya, & Masha;

I’m writing to show my support for you at this difficult time. I would like you to know that I very much hope the Russian authorities would support the principle of free speech for all their citizens and not feel that they have to punish you for your protest. Many people in the civilized world are allowed to voice their opinions and as long as they do not hurt anyone in doing so I believe this is the best way forward for all societies. I hope you can stay strong and believe that I and many others like me who believe in free speech will do everything in our power to support you and the idea of artistic freedom.

Wishing you the best of luck,

Paul McCartney

However, despite the support of the international and entertainment community, there was little chance that the women would be acquitted. The Russian justice system had an acquittal rate of less than one percent in 2011. Out of the 35,626 cases, just 239 had a not guilty verdict.

Despite the trial and the certainty of her conviction, Ms. Tolokonnikova refused to be silenced, issuing a rousing closing statement:

Essentially, it is not three singers from Pussy Riot who are on trial here. If that were the case, what’s happening would be totally insignificant. It is the entire state system of the Russian Federation which is on trial and which, unfortunately for itself, thoroughly enjoys quoting its cruelty towards human beings, its indifference to their honour and dignity, the very worst that has happened in Russian history to date. To my deepest regret, this mock trial is close to the standards of the Stalinist troikas…We are absolutely not happy with—and have been forced into living politically—by the use of coercive, strong-arm measures to handle social processes, a situation in which the most important political institutions are the disciplinary structures of the state… Nor are we happy with the enforced civic passivity of the bulk of the population or the complete domination of executive structures over the legislature and judiciary…

She also denied the charges of religious hatred, claiming that Pussy Riot had respect for the Orthodox faith, and expressed dismay that “the great and luminous Christian philosophy is being used so shabbily.”