Updated at 7:59 a.m. ET
(CBS/AP) MOSCOW - A Russian judge has found three members of the provocative punk band Pussy Riot guilty of hooliganism, in one of the most closely watched cases in recent Russian history.
The three were arrested in March after a guerrilla performance in Moscow's main cathedral calling for the Virgin Mary to protect Russia against Vladimir Putin.
When they called the band Pussy Riot and began performing in-your-face protest-punk, they knew they'd draw some attention, CBS News correspondent Charlie D'Agata reports. That was the point.
But when they chose Moscow's main cathedral -- the most sacred site in the Russian Orthodox Church -- to bang out a flash protest song against Putin, Russian authorities decided it was time for a crackdown.
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Three members were thrown in jail on charges of "hooliganism motivated by religious hatred," facing stiff sentences of up to seven years.
"We accept this as our ethical misdemeanor, but an ethical misdemeanor should not be a cause of criminal punishment," band member Nadezhda Tolokonnikova said through a translator.
Soon after the women were jailed in February, supporters of Pussy Riot began making some noise of their own.
Their cause was taken up by artists and musicians around the globe who saw the case as part of Putin's wider attempts to crush the protest movement and free speech.
Everybody from the Red Hot Chili Peppers to Paul McCartney posted messages on Twitter Thursday saying:
"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," McCartney said in a message posted to his Twitter account.
Madonna recently performed in Moscow with the name of the band on her back.
"I think that they've done something courageous," Madonna said. "I think they have paid the price for this act, and I pray for their freedom."
That may have lost her a few fans among Russian Orthodox priests, who burned pictures of her.
The remaining members of the band have said whatever the outcome, women in Russia and beyond should grab a facemask, gather together and cause a riot of their own in support.
(CBS/AP) MOSCOW - A Russian judge has found three members of the provocative punk band Pussy Riot guilty of hooliganism, in one of the most closely watched cases in recent Russian history.
The three were arrested in March after a guerrilla performance in Moscow's main cathedral calling for the Virgin Mary to protect Russia against Vladimir Putin.
When they called the band Pussy Riot and began performing in-your-face protest-punk, they knew they'd draw some attention, CBS News correspondent Charlie D'Agata reports. That was the point.
But when they chose Moscow's main cathedral -- the most sacred site in the Russian Orthodox Church -- to bang out a flash protest song against Putin, Russian authorities decided it was time for a crackdown.
Paul McCartney sends support to Russian punk band
Support grows for jailed Russian punk trio
Russian prosecutors ask for 3 years in punk case
Three members were thrown in jail on charges of "hooliganism motivated by religious hatred," facing stiff sentences of up to seven years.
"We accept this as our ethical misdemeanor, but an ethical misdemeanor should not be a cause of criminal punishment," band member Nadezhda Tolokonnikova said through a translator.
Soon after the women were jailed in February, supporters of Pussy Riot began making some noise of their own.
Their cause was taken up by artists and musicians around the globe who saw the case as part of Putin's wider attempts to crush the protest movement and free speech.
Everybody from the Red Hot Chili Peppers to Paul McCartney posted messages on Twitter Thursday saying:
"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," McCartney said in a message posted to his Twitter account.
Madonna recently performed in Moscow with the name of the band on her back.
"I think that they've done something courageous," Madonna said. "I think they have paid the price for this act, and I pray for their freedom."
That may have lost her a few fans among Russian Orthodox priests, who burned pictures of her.
The remaining members of the band have said whatever the outcome, women in Russia and beyond should grab a facemask, gather together and cause a riot of their own in support.