Madonna will introduce Pussy Riot’s Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and Maria Alyokhina at an upcoming concert in Brooklyn. The pop singer said she was “honoured” to be joining the punk activists, who were recently accused of satanism by a New York priest.
Fresh from a performance with Miley Cyrus, Madonna used a press release to describe Tolokonnikova and Alyokhina as “my fellow freedom fighters”. The two women will be guests of honour at Amnesty International’s 5 February gig, which also features performances by Lauryn Hill, Imagine Dragons and the Flaming Lips, The Guardian informs.
“I have admired [Pussy Riot’s] courage and have long supported their commitment and the sacrifices they have made in the name of freedom of expression and human rights,” Madonna said in a statement. Although the 55-year-old was relatively late to the Free Pussy Riot campaign, she became an important champion for the group’s cause, describing their conviction as “inhumane”.
