The Wire

Three members of the Russian feminist punk collective Pussy Riot are facing court this week on charges of hooliganism.

Police allege they took part in a protest action – that involved singing and dancing to an anti-Putin song – inside an Orthodox Cathedral in Moscow.In recent months, protests have increased in Russia, and some commentators say that people are losing their fear of punishment for speaking out.Amnesty International is calling for the release of the three women, saying that they are prisoners of conscience.