Oh snap! You think the Sex Pistols were punk? Dead Kennedys? What’s more punk rock than this new independent news service focusing on Russia’s prison system, courts, and law enforcement founded by Pussy Riot members Nadya Tolokonnikova and Masha Alekhina? Answer: nothing. Not even a sunglasses-wearing dog on a skateboard in a “Not My President” t-shirt flippin’ off the man. (It’s 2004 in this scenario).
The site’s called MediaZona and it’s going to work together with prisoners’ rights organization Zona Prava, which translates to Justice Zone. Illustrious Russian political journalist Sergey Smirnov will serve as MediaZona’s editor-in-chief. Here’s what makes it hardcore: the Kremlin has been trying to keep independent media quiet since the beginning of the year. Says Tolokonnikova, “Since our release from prison 6 months ago we’ve felt that Russian media are no longer able to cover what is going on. Because of the heavy censorship by authorities there is no space for anything in the media that criticises Putin’s policies and tracks human rights abuses by Russian courts and law enforcement.” Keep on rockin’ in the not-so-free-world, Pussy Riot.
• MediaZona: http://www.zona.media
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