The two freed members of Russian Punk group Pussy Riot have said they will start a human rights project to work with prisoners.
Speaking at a press conference in Moscow, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova said the project will be called “Right’s Zone”.
She also said it would be crowdfunded, dismissing the idea of getting funding from former oligarch Mikhail Khordorkovsky, although they would look to him for cooperation.
Khordorkovsky was also released from prison in Russia under an amnesty recently and is currently in Germany.
Tolokonnikova and her colleagues Maria Alyokhina and Yekaterina Samutsevich were jailed for two years in August after having been convicted of hooliganism motivated by religious hatred.
Samutsevich was later freed on appeal after her sentence was suspended.
It arose after they attempted to sing what they called a punk prayer while inside the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow.
In the ‘prayer’, they called on the Virgin Mary to get rid of President Putin.
The second band member, Maria Alyokhina, said she realised while in prison the law could work, if people want it to.
The women also said they were ready to cooperate with the church on human rights issues.
Their feelings towards Russian President Vladimir Putin have not altered, according to Tolokonnikova:
“We don’t separate art, punk rock and political action. Our political passion hasn’t diminished. Our attitude to Putin hasn’t changed, we meant what we asked for during our punk prayer,” she said.
Tolokonnikova believes they were granted the amnesty to make Putin look good for the Sochi Olympic games.
“We were freed for the Sochi Olympics, Putin’s pet project. After the games the repression will be back. There’s no ‘thaw’ or return of humanity now,“she added.
Tolokonnikova also said she would not repeat the ‘prayer’ today, saying she was younger then.
However, she does not regret doing it.
