World Cup: Pussy Riot Protesters Charged over Pitch Demonstration

BBC - Russian authorities have charged four members of the punk activist group Pussy Riot for disrupting the World Cup final by running onto the pitch.

They are accused of violating the rules for spectators at sporting events and of wearing police uniforms illegally.

The two offences carry maximum fines of 10,000 roubles (£121; $161) and 1,500 roubles, respectively.

Pussy Riot said it was a protest against human rights abuses in Russia. Stewards hauled the four off the pitch.

The incident interrupted the second half of the Croatia v France match for about 25 seconds. France went on to win 4-2.

The three women World Cup intruders were named as Nika Nikulshina, Olga Kurachyova and Olga Pakhtusova.

A statement from Pussy Riot said the aims of their protest included making the Russian authorities:

• Free all political prisoners
• Stop illegal arrests at public rallies
• Allow political competition in the country
• Stop fabricating criminal cases and jailing people on remand for no reason

The statement quoted a Russian poet, Dmitry Prigov, who had contrasted the "heavenly policeman who speaks to God on his walkie-talkie" with "the earthly one who fabricates criminal cases".

The Russian anti-Putin activist and blogger Alexei Navalny has tweeted a video clip showing two of the pitch invaders being interrogated.

An angry voice is heard shouting at Mr Verzilov and one of the women - looking dishevelled in their mock police uniforms.

"Sometimes I regret that it's not 1937" the person off-camera says, alluding to the communist-era terror campaign instigated by Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin.