Two Members Of Pussy Riot Band Flee Russia

After three members of the Russian feminist punk rock band Pussy Riot were sentenced to three years in prison for dissent, the two other members — whom authorities did not manage to arrest — have reportedly fled the country to seek protection. "In regard to the pursuit, two of our members have successfully fled the country! Recruiting foreign feminists to prepare new actions," the band said on Twitter, according to CNN.

Nadezhda Tolokonnikova (pictured), 22, Yekaterina Samutsevich, 30, and Maria Alekhina, 24, were charged earlier this month with "hooliganism driven by religious hatred" for an anti-Putin impromptu concert in Moscow's main cathedral by Judge Marina Syrova. "Under no circumstances will the girls ask for a pardon [from Putin]," said the band's lawyer, Mark Feygin. "They will not beg and humiliate themselves before such a bastard." The sentence was instantly condemned by the international community, and popular political and entertainment figures such as Madonna and President Barack Obama expressed their concern.

But Pussy Riot claimed a small victory on Sunday as two unnamed members escaped the country to avoid danger. "Two girls have left the country to protect themselves. They are in the safe place. Talking about whether they will stay there forever, it's hard to say because nothing lasts forever. Probably they will return one day. But you must remember that there are 12 or even 14 members who are still in Russia and participate in the band's work now," said Pyotr Verzilov, husband of the jailed member Tolokonnikova. Their whereabouts remain unknown.

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