Who doubts, really, that this is anything but a Publicity Stunt by by the world's richest man ( says something about the times we live in, neither Hitler nor Stalin cared if they were technically the richest person....because, of course, they freely reveled in their status as El Lider, whereas Putin, who has studied Psychological Warfare tactics extensively, tries to present himself as just a necessary Authority Figure to ward off chaos such as the country suffered somewhat under Yeltsin ( a chaos much exaggerated by pro-Putin forces, of course).
And, with perfect "chutzpah", Putin likes to pretend he allows opposition parties etc.
23 December 2013
Last updated at 05:43 ET
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 act was seen as blasphemous by many Russians, but their conviction was criticised by rights groups, anti-Putin activists and foreign governments.
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.
Views unchanged
Pussy Riot member Nadezhda Tolokonnikova freed in Russia
BBC's Pavel Bandakov: "The Olympics are closely connected to what's going on"
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 act was seen as blasphemous by many Russians, but their conviction was criticised by rights groups, anti-Putin activists and foreign governments.
Continue reading the main story
Most pundits see the amnesty as President Putin's attempt to soften his image in the West and improve his human rights record ahead of the Sochi Olympics in February 2014.
Two days after the amnesty came into force Putin pardoned Mikhail Khodorkovsky, once Russia's richest man and his personal foe, in a move that again was widely seen as an attempt to appease the West.
At his Berlin press conference on Sunday, Khodorkovsky appeared to strike a conciliatory tone, vowing to stay out of politics and saying that he did not feel hatred towards the man who finally pardoned him after more than 10 years in jail.
The Pussy Riot members' stance appears to be less serene. Tolokonnikova's husband told the BBC that "the only thing they have acquired over their two years in prison is their confidence to continue fighting Putin's regime even harder".
Alyokhina's first words and actions after being freed serve as a sign that this fight is likely to get more fierce and more personal.
Analysis
As soon as Maria Alyokhina stepped through the prison gates she described the amnesty law under which she was released as a "profanation", since it applied only to a minority of convicts.Most pundits see the amnesty as President Putin's attempt to soften his image in the West and improve his human rights record ahead of the Sochi Olympics in February 2014.
Two days after the amnesty came into force Putin pardoned Mikhail Khodorkovsky, once Russia's richest man and his personal foe, in a move that again was widely seen as an attempt to appease the West.
At his Berlin press conference on Sunday, Khodorkovsky appeared to strike a conciliatory tone, vowing to stay out of politics and saying that he did not feel hatred towards the man who finally pardoned him after more than 10 years in jail.
The Pussy Riot members' stance appears to be less serene. Tolokonnikova's husband told the BBC that "the only thing they have acquired over their two years in prison is their confidence to continue fighting Putin's regime even harder".
Alyokhina's first words and actions after being freed serve as a sign that this fight is likely to get more fierce and more personal.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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".
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Nadezhda Tolokonnikova is also expected to be released under the amnesty
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 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.
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.
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