The town where the Protestant Reformation was launched 500 years ago has come under sharp criticism from churchgoers over its nomination of the Russian punk rock band Pussy Riot for a freedom of speech prize.
The town council of Lutherstadt Wittenberg recommended Pussy Riot for the national prize named in honour of Martin Luther, who nailed his 95 theses to a church door in 1517 and was excommunicated by the Catholic Church when he refused to retract them. Town authorities said the moral courage shown by Pussy Riot was similar to that shown by Luther, but the decision has angered many Germans who say they cannot support the decision to celebrate a band that protested in a church.
Three members of Pussy Riot were convicted of hooliganism after staging a “punk prayer” in Moscow’s Christ the Saviour church. One of them was freed on appeal on Wednesday. – (Guardian service)