Pussy Riot Guilty Verdict Triggers DDos Attack against Russia Today; WikiLeaks Cries Censorship Attempt

Operation of the Russia Today website was disrupted several times on Friday due to a heavy DDoS attack perpetrated by an anti-Wikileaks group, as reported by The Register.

It was initially suspected that the attack was motivated by the group`s discontent with the Russian channel`s overt support for the Putin regime and for Julian Assange. A tweet launched by the attackers set the record straight. “Yes. We are behind the DDoS attack on #RT_com. #FreePussyRiot“, reads Anti Leaks` message to the microblogging universe. This manifestation of support followed shortly after three members of punk rock group Pussy Riot were sentenced to two years in prison on charges of “hooliganism motivated by religious hatred.”

Pussy Riot became known for their highly flammable political messages conveyed through flash concerts in venues such as subway stations, bus roofs or jail rooms, as reported by The Guardian. They came under official investigations following a 40 second impromptu show inside Moscow`s Orthodox Cathedral. Three members of the band, self-declared feminists and anti-establishment protesters, took the cathedral by storm on February 21, 2012 and performed “a song asking for the Virgin Mary to Ëœrid us of Putin`“.

WikiLeaks reacted to the attack by calling it an “attempt to censor RT”. “RT is an important alternative voice in the West”, reads the Assange&co tweet on the matter.