 On September 22 , Yoko Ono awarded the band the biennial LennonOno Grant for Peace , stating that she intended to work for the group ’ s immediate release . In October 2012 , Pussy Riot was announced as a finalist for the European Parliament ’ s Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought , named for Soviet dissident Andrei Sakharov . The prize ultimately went to Iranian human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh and filmmaker Jafar Panahi . The city of Wittenberg , where Martin Luther nailed his Ninety Five Theses to the church door , nominated Pussy Riot for its annual Martin Luther “ Fearless Speech ” prize . The nomination provoked opposition from many theology experts , including leadership of the Evangelical Church in Germany ( EKD ) . In November the prize was awarded to a group of Regensburg restaurateurs for an anti @-@ Nazi campaign . 
