A member of the Russian punk band Pussy Riot has been freed early from prison but claims the move is a PR stunt.
Maria Alyokhina was released early from a two-year sentence under amnesty, but criticised the decision to set her free as publicity for President Vladimir Putin, saying she would have refused to leave jail if she had the choice.
“Yes, I was keen to reject this amnesty but the prison have received an order. That’s why I was brought here. Now, I would like to meet human rights activists and I would like now to deal with the issue of prison. I would like to engage in the human rights activity. Now I’m not afraid of anything anymore. Believe me.”
The twenty-five-year-old was arrested along with two other members and convicted of hooliganism motivated by religious hatred for performing a protest song in a church against the Russian President. Her sentence was due to end in March 2014.
Difficult words: claim (say something which hasn’t been proved), PR stunt (event planned to draw public’s attention), sentence (punishment), amnesty (official order which frees somebody from prison), keen (wanting to do something), engage (do something), convict (to officially announce that someone is guilty), hooliganism (vandalism).