Pussy Riot Members Released From Prison

Pussy Riot Members Released From Prison

Pussy Riot members Nadya Tolokonikova who is 24 years of age and Maria Alekhina who is 25 years old were prematurely released from prison. The three month reduced sentence came after the two members of Pussy Riot along with fellow band member Yekaterina Samutsevich were arrested after playing their “Punk Prayer: Mother of God Drive Putin Away from Moscow’s Christ the Saviour Cathedral” track. The crime they were convicted for is hooliganism motivated by religious hatred or hostility.

Yekaterina Samutsevich managed to appeal her sentence; however, the other two punk band members remained imprisoned despite a global effort for their release. The decision came after a new law was passed by the Russian Duma granted amnesty to all first offenders, prisoners who haven’t committed a violent crime, minors, women or small children.

During their time in prison, the two singers protested in their own unique way. Maria Alekhina went on hunger strike while her band colleague Nadya Tolokonikova wrote an open letter addressing the hostile and rough conditions found in Russian prison. Several days after the letter was posted the Tolokonika disappeared from the system, appearing 21 days later in a Siberian prison hospital.

President Vladimir Putin commented on the band member’s release saying that he didn't regret the fact that they were convicted, but rather their behavior which was degrading to all women.

Posted by James Fried on Friday December 20 2013, 4:31 AM EST. Ref: USA Today. Link. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under Featured News, World. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0