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Pussy Riot Protesters Arrested in Qatar During World Cup Final Game

The activists had reportedly planned to rush the field to demonstrate against the war in Ukraine.

Members of the Russian protest group Pussy Riot were detained in Qatar on Sunday night while attempting to storm the field during the soccer World Cup final, according to reports. German nonprofit Cinema for Peace said Pyotr Wersilov, Nika Nikulschina, and an unnamed third activist were arrested ahead of the protest, which had been planned to demonstrate against the war in Ukraine, the jailing of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, and the oppression of women in Iran, according to Der Spiegel, which reported that it viewed footage of the purported protest operation. The alleged action planned to take place during Argentina’s dramatic win over France comes four years after members of Pussy Riot disrupted the 2018 World Cup final in Moscow when an activist ran onto the field to highlight human rights abuses in Russia.