The Russian punk band that made headlines after being sentenced to jail after performing a protest song in Moscow’s main cathedral, has now been released. Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and Maria Alyokhina were incarcerated back in August of 2012 for “hooliganism motivated by religious hatred” since the performance was seen as blasphemous by many Russians and was condemned by the Russian Orthodox church.
The two band members were released along with about 20,000 other prisoners under an amnesty law. Nadezhda and Maria dismissed it as a publicity stunt ahead of the Sochi Olympics in February to change Putin’s image in the West and improve his human rights record.
Both Pussy Riot members claim that their feelings about the government have not changed after their experiences in prison and they intend to form a human rights group to fight for prison reform. As she emerged from a prison hospital, Nadezdha was heard exclaiming, “Russia without Putin.”
The two were due to be freed in March but were released by the law since they were women who had children to look after.