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| Pussy Riot member Maria Alyokhina freed in Russia | Pussy Riot member Maria Alyokhina freed in Russia |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Maria Alyokhina, a member of Russian punk band Pussy Riot, has been freed early from prison under an amnesty. | Maria Alyokhina, a member of Russian punk band Pussy Riot, has been freed early from prison under an amnesty. |
| She told a Russian TV channel the amnesty was a "PR stunt" and she would rather have remained in prison. | She told a Russian TV channel the amnesty was a "PR stunt" and she would rather have remained in prison. |
| The release of fellow band member Nadezhda Tolokonnikova is also expected later on Monday. | The release of fellow band member Nadezhda Tolokonnikova is also expected later on Monday. |
| The women were jailed in August 2012 for "hooliganism motivated by religious hatred" after performing a protest song in Moscow's main cathedral. | |
| Their conviction was criticised by rights groups, anti-Putin activists and foreign governments. | |
| Their sentences were due to end in March 2014, but they have known since last week that their release was imminent under an amnesty law signed by the Russian parliament. | Their sentences were due to end in March 2014, but they have known since last week that their release was imminent under an amnesty law signed by the Russian parliament. |
| The law covers at least 20,000 prisoners, including minors, invalids, veterans, pregnant women, and mothers. Tolokonnikova and Alyokhina were included as they both have young children. | The law covers at least 20,000 prisoners, including minors, invalids, veterans, pregnant women, and mothers. Tolokonnikova and Alyokhina were included as they both have young children. |
| The amnesty was widely seen as attempt to avoid controversy overshadowing the Winter Olympics in February, due to be hosted in the Black Sea resort of Sochi. | The amnesty was widely seen as attempt to avoid controversy overshadowing the Winter Olympics in February, due to be hosted in the Black Sea resort of Sochi. |
| Views unchanged | Views unchanged |
| Alyokhina was released from the prison camp in Nizhny Novgorod, east of Moscow, early on Monday morning. Her lawyer said she was on her way to the train station to travel to Moscow. | Alyokhina was released from the prison camp in Nizhny Novgorod, east of Moscow, early on Monday morning. Her lawyer said she was on her way to the train station to travel to Moscow. |
| But she travelled to the offices of right groups Committee Against Torture where she gave telephone interviews. | But she travelled to the offices of right groups Committee Against Torture where she gave telephone interviews. |
| Speaking to Russia's independent Dozhd TV channel she said her views of President Putin had not changed and that the law was not an amnesty but "a profanation". | Speaking to Russia's independent Dozhd TV channel she said her views of President Putin had not changed and that the law was not an amnesty but "a profanation". |
| "I don't think the amnesty is a humanitarian act, I think it's a PR stunt," she said, adding that it applied only to minority of convicts. | "I don't think the amnesty is a humanitarian act, I think it's a PR stunt," she said, adding that it applied only to minority of convicts. |
| "In this situation, I was just a body being moved in space, nothing depended on me," she said. | "In this situation, I was just a body being moved in space, nothing depended on me," she said. |
| "If I had a choice to refuse [the amnesty], I would have, without a doubt." | "If I had a choice to refuse [the amnesty], I would have, without a doubt." |
| Russian media quoted a friend of Alyokhina as saying she had wanted to serve out her sentence as she was concerned for the safety of fellow prisoners and wanted to protect them. | Russian media quoted a friend of Alyokhina as saying she had wanted to serve out her sentence as she was concerned for the safety of fellow prisoners and wanted to protect them. |
| Alyokhina and Tolokonnikova were both convicted after performing an obscenity-laced song called Punk Prayer in Moscow's Christ the Saviour cathedral in February last year. | Alyokhina and Tolokonnikova were both convicted after performing an obscenity-laced song called Punk Prayer in Moscow's Christ the Saviour cathedral in February last year. |
| The song was heavily critical of the Orthodox Church's support for Russian President Vladimir Putin, calling on the Virgin Mary to "throw Putin out". | The song was heavily critical of the Orthodox Church's support for Russian President Vladimir Putin, calling on the Virgin Mary to "throw Putin out". |
| A third Pussy Riot protester, Yekaterina Samutsevich, was jailed along with Alyokhina and Tolokonnikova, but was released on appeal in October last year. Her sentence was suspended because she had not performed the protest song with the others. | A third Pussy Riot protester, Yekaterina Samutsevich, was jailed along with Alyokhina and Tolokonnikova, but was released on appeal in October last year. Her sentence was suspended because she had not performed the protest song with the others. |
| Ms Tolokonnikova's husband Pyotr Verzilov told the BBC that the release "was a bit of an image-lightening process for President Putin". | Ms Tolokonnikova's husband Pyotr Verzilov told the BBC that the release "was a bit of an image-lightening process for President Putin". |
| "The only thing they have acquired over their two years in prison is their confidence to continue fighting Putin's regime even harder, because, well, this is the only thing that can change things in our country," he said. | "The only thing they have acquired over their two years in prison is their confidence to continue fighting Putin's regime even harder, because, well, this is the only thing that can change things in our country," he said. |
| Tolokonnikova's father Andrei told Reuters last week that the timing of the women's release was "an absolutely cynical game of the central authorities". | Tolokonnikova's father Andrei told Reuters last week that the timing of the women's release was "an absolutely cynical game of the central authorities". |
| Charges against 30 people arrested while taking part in a Greenpeace protest at a Russian Arctic offshore oil rig may also be dropped later this week under the amnesty law. | |
| The group - mostly foreign activists - have been charged with hooliganism. | |
| In a separate move, former oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky - once Russia's richest man - was pardoned on Friday and freed after more than 10 years in prison for fraud and tax evasion. | |
| He has always insisted his conviction was politically motivated, because of his financial support for opposition parties. | He has always insisted his conviction was politically motivated, because of his financial support for opposition parties. |
| His release, approved by Mr Putin, was on humanitarian grounds because his mother is ill. |