The Pussy Riot Story Now Has a Body Count

AP
Alexander Abad-Santos 4,280 Views Aug 30, 2012

In one of the more disturbing things you'll hear out of Russia regarding Pussy Riot, the bodies of two murdered women were found in the town of Kazan, with the words "Free Pussy Riot" scrawled out on the wall above them. Clearly, a double-murder is scary no matter what, but it's those words, "Free Pussy Riot," that are complicating things since no one really knows who's behind this horrific act. Did a Pussy Riot supporter really kill these women? Is the Russian government killing people to smear supporters of Pussy Riot?

Well, as The Guardian's Miriam Elder reports, people are saying both. "Opposition activists immediately said the alleged graffiti were an attempt to smear the band and their supporters," she writes, adding that activists said that initial investigators made no mention of the words and that Pussy Riot has always encouraged a nonviolent protest. "One Russian investigator cautioned that the killer was possibly trying to mislead police by drawing attention to supporters of the punk provocateurs," she adds. As CNN reports, the murder investigation (the bodies were found on Wednesday) is just two weeks removed from the members of Pussy Riot being jailed for "hooliganism." As The Associated Press' Mansur Mirovalev notes, Orthodox and Kremlin supporters are parlaying the murders into a political and religious soapbox. "The infernal force that drives them hates God, believers and humankind in general," Dmitry Tsorionov, a leader of an Orthodox youth group was quoted as saying in The AP report. "These people are capable of committing any crime, and nothing but force and law can stop them." So... just to be clear there's either a murderer on the streets of Kazan trying to make a point about Pussy Riot or a government that isn't afraid in trying to make a point about Pussy Riot that involves murder. Neither one of those is exactly comforting. 

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