Russian band who ran onto pitch at 2018 World Cup final jailed for 15 days

A woman even raised her hand to cheer Mbappe before being escorted off the field by security personnel.

According to Reuters, a court in Moscow (Russia) on July 16 sentenced the Pussy Riot group for intentionally sabotaging the world's largest sporting event hosted by the country, in front of President Vladimir Putin and other high-ranking officials around the world. In addition to the 15-day prison sentence, the four members were also banned from attending sporting events for the next 3 years.

Specifically, the four harassers, including three women: Nika Nikulshina, Olga Kurachyova, Olga Pakhtusova and a man named Pyotr Verzilov, violated the rules for fans at sports tournaments. The group entered the stadium area without permission despite being reminded and warned by security. In addition, they were illegally wearing police uniforms.

A female member high-fives French player Kylian Mbappe.

The man who obstructed the match was dragged out by Dejan Lovren.

Previously, on July 15, in the 52nd minute of the 2018 World Cup final, when Croatia was trailing 1-2 to France, a group of people ran around the field. A female member tried to approach and then high-fived French midfielder Kylian Mbappe before being escorted out. After that, the only male member also broke into the playing area. Croatian defender Dejan Lovren was angry at the "uninvited guest". The Liverpool player grabbed this person, then knocked him down before signaling him to leave the area where the "fiery" match was taking place. After the incident, Dejan Lovren expressed his anger to reporters: "At that time, I just wished I could throw him out of the stadium."

Pussy Riot justified their actions by saying that this was just one of the actions in the protest for freedom of speech that the group was carrying out. They appeared on the field because they were dragged by the players and did not appear on their own initiative. However, what the camera recorded did not match their explanation. Pussy Riot did not have the right to hire a lawyer to appeal after this noisy incident.

As France were leading Croatia 2-1, four fans wearing white shirts, ties and police badges stormed the Luzhniki Stadium.

At the trial, Veronika Nikulshina, one of the four rioters, told reporters: "It's a pity that we interrupted the players' play. FIFA intervened and made the matches unfair...".

Pussy Riot rose to fame after an anti-Putin protest inside Moscow's largest cathedral in 2012, during which three participants were arrested and jailed.

The only man involved in the harassment at this year's World Cup final was the husband of Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, one of three Pussy Riot members jailed in 2012.