The two freed members of the Russian punk group Pussy Riot are calling for a boycott of the upcoming Winter Olympics following their release from prison. Nadia Tolokonnikova and Maria Alyokhina had been jailed since last March for protesting Russian leader Vladimir Putin in an Orthodox cathedral. They were due to be released within the next few months but were freed early under an amnesty that Putin proposed. Tolokonnikova called Putin’s amnesty a “cynical act.”
Nadia Tolokonnikova: “This is a cynical act. Putin blamed us for carrying out cynical acts, but in reality his today’s act is much more cynical — to release those people who do not need to be released. These remaining two months I could have easily spent where I was, and at the same time he refused to release those people who really needed it. It’s a disgusting and cynical act.”
The Pussy Riot members say the world should boycott the Winter Games in the Russian city of Sochi in February to protest Putin’s record on human rights.
