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| Pussy Riot member Nadezhda Tolokonnikova freed in Russia | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Nadezhda Tolokonnikova has become the second member of Russian punk band Pussy Riot to freed early from prison under a new amnesty law. | |
| Band member Maria Alyokhina was freed earlier on Monday in Nizhny Novgorod. | |
| Alyokhina told a Russian TV channel the amnesty was a "PR stunt" and she would rather have remained in prison. | |
| The women were jailed in August 2012 for "hooliganism motivated by religious hatred" after performing a protest song in Moscow's main cathedral. | The women were jailed in August 2012 for "hooliganism motivated by religious hatred" after performing a protest song in Moscow's main cathedral. |
| The act was seen as blasphemous by many Russians, but 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 a law signed by the Russian parliament which gave amnesty to some 20,000 prisoners, including mothers. Both have young children. | Their sentences were due to end in March 2014, but they have known since last week that their release was imminent under a law signed by the Russian parliament which gave amnesty to some 20,000 prisoners, including mothers. Both have young children. |
| The amnesty was widely seen as attempt to avoid controversy overshadowing the Winter Olympics, being hosted in Russia's Black Sea resort of Sochi in February. | The amnesty was widely seen as attempt to avoid controversy overshadowing the Winter Olympics, being hosted in Russia's Black Sea resort of Sochi in February. |
| Former oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky - once Russia's richest man - was also pardoned on Friday and freed after more than 10 years in prison for fraud and tax evasion. | Former oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky - once Russia's richest man - was also pardoned on Friday and freed after more than 10 years in prison for fraud and tax evasion. |
| Views unchanged | Views unchanged |
| Nadezhda Tolokonnikova walked out of a prison hospital in Krasnoyarsk, Siberia, on Monday afternoon. She was being treated there for unspecified illness. | |
| Alyokhina was freed early in the morning in Nizhny Novgorod. | |
| Speaking later to Russian television after her release, she said her views of President Putin had not changed and that the amnesty was "a profanation" and "a PR exercise". | |
| "If I had a choice to refuse [the amnesty], I would have, without a doubt," she added. | "If I had a choice to refuse [the amnesty], I would have, without a doubt," she added. |
| 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 2012. | Alyokhina and Tolokonnikova were both convicted after performing an obscenity-laced song called Punk Prayer in Moscow's Christ the Saviour cathedral in February 2012. |
| 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 also jailed, but was released on appeal in October 2012. | A third Pussy Riot protester, Yekaterina Samutsevich, was also jailed, but was released on appeal in October 2012. |
| Tolokonnikova's husband Pyotr Verzilov earlier told the BBC that news of the women's 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. |
| 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. | 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. | The group - mostly foreign activists - have been charged with hooliganism. |
| Mr Khodorkovsky's surprise release was approved by Mr Putin last week. He was pardoned on humanitarian grounds, because his mother is seriously ill. | Mr Khodorkovsky's surprise release was approved by Mr Putin last week. He was pardoned on humanitarian grounds, because his mother is seriously ill. |
| The former tycoon has always insisted his conviction was politically motivated, because of his financial support for opposition parties. | The former tycoon has always insisted his conviction was politically motivated, because of his financial support for opposition parties. |
| Speaking from Berlin, where he flew after being freed, he said he would stay out of politics, but would do all he could to free Russia's other political prisoners. | Speaking from Berlin, where he flew after being freed, he said he would stay out of politics, but would do all he could to free Russia's other political prisoners. |