Three activists protesting in support of jailed feminist punk band Pussy Riot were detained on Wednesday as tensions in the Russian capital heat up ahead of a verdict in a trial that is being seen as a key test of Vladimir Putin's crackdown on dissent.
Wearing the bright balaclavas made famous by Pussy Riot, 18 men and women gathered on the steps of the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour carrying a sign with the biblical quote "blessed are the merciful".
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