Pussy Riot’s Samutsevich intends to sue all three of her former lawyers

(Interfax – MOSCOW, August 20, 2013) Pussy Riot punk band member Yekaterina Samutsevich, convicted to two years of a suspended sentence, has filed a lawsuit against her former lawyers Violetta Volkova, Nikolai Polozov and Mark Feigin.

Samutsevich said she demanded to award her non-pecuniary damages for insulting statements regarding her. “The lawsuit has been filed against three lawyers: against Feigin, Volkova and Polozov, it is of defending character because the bullying campaign lasts for over six months. As soon as I was released, even earlier, they began to write insulting statements about me and there is no other way to defend myself but to file the lawsuit,” Samutsevich said in an interview with Kommersant FM radio station on Tuesday.

“The lawsuit will be a way to stop lawyers from further insults,” she said.

“Maybe this will stop them somehow in further insults or distributing incorrect information on the criminal case because this damages a lot me, Nadya and Masha (Pussy Riot members Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and Maria Alyokhina). It seems to me that this damages very much. So there is no other way, this is simply defending rights,” Samutsevich said.

Samutsevich said she informed the lawyers of her intention to sue. The Pussy Riot member said she had seen Feigin and Polozov in a court but “has not sued yet.”

“I said I was going to sue, in response to which Feigin started accusing me that I have again given up someone from the band. The reaction was quite negative,” she said.

It has been reported that Samutsevich had sued Volkova for a 2 million ruble award for non-pecuniary damages. “On August 14, the Moscow region’s Electrostal city court received the lawsuit filed in order to defend her honor and dignity and the award for non-pecuniary damages,” the court’s press office told Interfax.

The reason for the lawsuit is the publications of Volkova posted on the Ekho Moskvy (Echo of Moscow) website and her private blogs, the press office said. “Samutsevich thinks that the lawyer is distributing incorrect and insulting information that negatively assesses her personality and discredits her honor and dignity on the Internet as well as in a written statement given to the qualifications commission of the bar association,” the press office said.

Samutsevich demands retraction of all information and 2 million rubles as compensation for non-financial damages, the press office said. “The court has accepted the lawsuit for consideration. The judge has scheduled a preliminary court hearing on this civil lawsuit on September 18,” a court employee said.

Samutsevich has filed a complaint about her former defense lawyers with the bar association.

Meanwhile, Volkova told Interfax on Tuesday that her former client’s lawsuit was another PR stunt. “I think that this is ordinary PR, maybe her money is gone, maybe it is something else, however all of these actions will not improve Samutsevich’ reputation. No one can discredit her more than she herself has,” she said.

The lawyer said she would attend the court hearing.

“Of course, I will come, I am curious what Samutsevich will say and why she evaluates herself so highly,” Volkova said.

[featured image is file photo, with Samutsevich furthest in background]