Four anti-Kremlin protesters who briefly interrupted the World Cup final on Sunday have been sentenced to 15 days behind bars for violating attendance rules for sporting events.
The activists from the Pussy Riot performance band ran onto the field of Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow during the France-Croatia match dressed in police-style outfits before being dragged off by security. It was the first significant security lapse in the month-long tournament that has won hosts Russia praise for organization and efficiency.
A Moscow district court handed the four protesters 15-day administrative sentence on Monday, the court told the Rapsi legal news portal.
The four activists have been also banned from attending sports events for up to three years.
The band, who became famous after they were jailed in 2012 for staging a protest in Moscow’s Christ the Saviour Cathedral, demanded the release of political prisoners and greater freedoms in an online statement that claimed responsibility for Sunday’s incident.
Separately, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled on Tuesday to award 37,000 euros ($43,500) in damages to the original members of Pussy Riot for the controversial church performance that landed them in jail for two years.
Reuters contributed reporting to this article.
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