Russian priest who stood up for Pussy Riot gets Czech asylum

Russian orthodox priest Sergei Baranov who stood up in defence of the punk band Pussy Riot has been granted asylum in the Czech Republic. The cleric told the daily Právo he received political asylum from the Czech Interior Ministry last month. Sergei Baranov said he found himself under pressure from Russian intelligence services when he protested against the trial with members of the band. In the interview, the priest expressed gratitude to the Czech authorities and said he was planning to convert to the Greek Catholic Church and establish a monastery in the Czech Republic.