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Freed Russian musicians ‘no longer members’ of Pussy Riot

Madonna, left, introduces Maria Alyokhina, center, and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, formerly of Russian punk protest collective Pussy Riot, at the Amnesty International concert on Feb. 5, 2014, in New York City.
Madonna, left, introduces Maria Alyokhina, center, and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, formerly of Russian punk protest collective Pussy Riot, at the Amnesty International concert on Feb. 5, 2014, in New York City.
(Don Emmert / AFP/Getty Images)
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The two freed members of Russian music and performance-art collective Pussy Riot who appeared Wednesday in New York with Madonna at an Amnesty International concert supporting human rights issues worldwide are “no longer members of the group,” according a statement issued by other anonymous members of the collective.

“We are very pleased with Masha and Nadia’s release,” the statement posted on Pussy Riot’s website said of Maria Alyokhina and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, who were sent to a Siberian gulag last year for their “punk prayer” protest in 2012 against Russian President Vladimir Putin. They were freed in December before the end of their two-year prison sentences.

“We are proud of their resistance against the harsh trials that befell them, and their determination by all means to continue the struggle they had started during their time in the colonies,” the statement read.

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“Unfortunately for us, they became so carried away with the problems in Russian prisons that they completely forgot about the aspirations and ideals of our group -- feminism, separatist resistance, the fight against authoritarianism and personality cults, all of which caused their unjust punishment.

“It is no secret that Masha and Nadia are no longer members of the group, and will no longer take part in radical actionism. Now they are engaged in a new project, as institutionalised advocates of prisoners’ rights. But such advocacy is hardly compatible with radical political statements and provocative works of art -- just as gender conformity is not compatible with radical feminism.”

The statement objected to the fact that those who attended the Amnesty International concert had to pay for admission, stating that Pussy Riot believed its performances should always be for free and rooted in political protest. It also noted that the two women themselves had indicated that they no longer considered themselves members of Pussy Riot, yet media reports continued to identify them as such.

“Yes, we have lost two friends, two ideological teammates, but the world has acquired two brave human rights defenders -- fighters for the rights of Russian prisoners,” the statement said.

“Unfortunately we cannot congratulate them in person because they refuse to have any contact with us. But we appreciate their choice and sincerely wish them well in their new career.”

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Follow Randy Lewis on Twitter: @RandyLewis2

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