The court reduced the period for Pussy Riot's lawyers to familiarize themselves with the case materials

The defense of the members of the group Pussy Riot has been shortened the period of familiarization with the materials of the criminal case, said lawyer Nikolai Polozov.

“A new investigator called me and said that the court on Monday suddenly decided to limit the period of familiarization with the case,” Polozov told Interfax on Friday evening.

The agency does not have any comment from official representatives of the metropolitan police on this matter.

On February 21, members of the punk group Pussy Riot held an anti-Putin performance in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. The police opened a criminal case under Art. 213 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (“Hooliganism”). Three members of the group - Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, Ekaterina Samutsevich and Maria Alekhina - were arrested. The period of their arrest was extended several times, most recently until July 24.

The Pussy Riot case caused a great public outcry. Human rights activists said that the girls should not be prosecuted criminally for their performance, and the maximum they deserve is an administrative punishment for petty hooliganism. Amnesty International has recognized three members of Pussy Riot as prisoners of conscience.