Madonna Case Set to Open

The St. Petersburg Times

Published: September 19, 2012 (Issue # 1727)

The city’s Moskovsky district court will on Oct. 11 begin hearings in the lawsuit filed against pop star Madonna and organizers of the concert at which she performed in St. Petersburg in August.

The attorney representing the plaintiffs, Alexander Pochuyev, said the consideration of the case in court may take from three months to a year, Interfax reported.

The claim was made by the Trade Union of Russian Citizens and several other public organizations. It seeks damages of 333 million rubles ($11 million) from Madonna and the organizers of the concert for allegedly inciting religious hatred and offending cultural traditions.

The applications were submitted to investigators along with a video, which according to the Trade Union shows Madonna trampling an Orthodox cross under her feet and asking audience members wearing pink bracelets to raise their hands in order to show their support for gay rights in Russia.