Icelandic member of Pussy Riot wanted

A Russian court has issued an arrest warrant “in absentia” for Lucy Shtein, a member of the dissident group and band Pussy Riot. Shtein was granted Icelandic citizenship earlier this year.

The Russian District Court in the Basmanny region, ruled in the court that Shein must be held in custody for two months until she is extradited or returned to Russia, according to The Moscow Times.

Article on Iceland Monitor

The leader of Pussy Riot escaped Russia with the help of an Icelandic artist

Shein is charged with spreading false news about the Russian army and its activities in Ukraine. A spokesman for the court, who did not want to disclose his name, said that Shein was wanted internationally in an interview with the Russian media.

Can face 10 years imprisonment

Distribution of “false information” about the Russian military is punishable under Russian law and anyone guilty of this can face a 10-year prison sentence.

The group is best known for its protests against Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, in 2012, when the group disrupted a mass in the Moscow church with punk music and performing topless. Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the group has been a vocal critic of the Russian government.

Shtein and her girlfriend Maria Alekhina, the frontwoman of Pussy Riot, fled the country with the help of Icelandic artist Ragnar Kjartansson, but she fled the country disguised as a fast-food delivery person.