The Russian protest group Pussy Riot have been beaten with horsewhips by Cossacks who are helping patrol Sochi during the Winter Olympics.
Wearing their signature ski-masks, Pussy Riot members Nadezhda Tolokonnikova (left) and Maria Alyokhina pose for a photo in a police station after their arrest on Tuesday. Photo: AFP
Footage shows members of the band, which became famous after performing a protest song in a church against President Vladimir Putin, being beaten. Police questioned witnesses, but no one was arrested.
Earlier this week, two band members were arrested on suspicion of theft at Sochi, but later released.
The footage shows Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and Maria Alyokhina, who both served prison sentences for their Moscow church performance, being attacked along with other band members. A Cossack appears to spray a substance in the face of one of them.
An officer with a whip then proceeds to attack the band members along with a man with a camera. Other Cossacks then jump in, punching the band members and throwing them to the floor.
The group has been fiercely critical of Mr Putin, who has been the main driving force behind the Sochi Games. One band member said on Wednesday the Sochi games were a political event.