LOS ANGELES, Aug 18 (Reuters) - Madonna, who had already
voiced her support for the Russian punk band Pussy Riot, on
Saturday joined a chorus of celebrities in slamming a jail
sentence handed down in Moscow to three women from the group
over a protest against President Vladimir Putin.
"I protest the conviction and sentencing of Pussy Riot to a
penal colony for two years for a 40-second performance extolling
their political opinions," Madonna said in a statement.
The three women, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, 22, Maria
Alyokhina, 24, and Yekaterina Samutsevich, 30, were convicted in
a Russian court of hooliganism motivated by religious hatred for
performing a "punk prayer" in Moscow's Christ the Saviour
Cathedral in which they called on the Virgin Mary to rid Russia
of Putin.
The two-year sentence handed down against the three women on
Friday has generated outrage outside of Russia, but within the
country polls have shown that few Russians sympathize with them.
Judge Marina Syrova told the Moscow court on Friday, "The
girls' actions were sacrilegious, blasphemous and broke the
church's rules." She rejected their argument that they had no
intention of offending Russian Orthodox believers.
Madonna had previously expressed her support for the band
after they were arrested.
In her latest statement, Madonna said the two-year sentence
was "too harsh and in fact is inhumane."
"They've spent enough time in jail. I call on all of Russia
to let Pussy Riot go free," she said.
On Friday, the European Union's foreign policy chief
Catherine Ashton said the sentences given to the women were
"disproportionate" to the crime, and European nations and the
United States voiced similarly sharp criticism.
So did Canadian rock star Bryan Adams, actor Adrian Grenier
and Black Keys drummer Patrick Carney, who vowed to not play a
show in Russia over what he described as its move to "imprison
innocent musicians for speaking their minds peacefully."
British singers Sting and Paul McCartney have also shown
support for the Pussy Riot band.
(Reporting By Alex Dobuzinskis; Editing by Will Dunham)