Pussy Riot Founding Member Sentenced To 15 Days As Group Pressed By Authorities rferl.org - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from rferl.org Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Nikulshina is no stranger to Russian police. In 2018, she stormed the field during the World Cup finals in Moscow along with Pussy Riot members Olga Kuracheva, Olga Pakhtusova, and Peter Verzilov as part of a protest against Russia’s political and prison systems. Nikulshina was photographed gleefully high-fiving French footballer Kylian Mbappé on the field, while officials chased the other members around the green in a surreal scene. Eventually they were taken into custody and given 15-day prison sentences for the action, and barred from attending sport events for three years.
Just days later, Verzilov was admitted to the hospital for a serious condition that might have involved poisoning. According to Nikulshina, Verzilov’s health deteriorated soon after appearing in court, and he was unconscious for three days. Nikulshina was also arrested in 2020 for draping rainbow flags on government buildings to mark Vladimir Putin’s birthday.