Just before Nadya Tolokonnikova and Masha Alekhina took the stage for an Amnesty International concert in Brooklyn, a statement was released stating that Tolokonnikova and Alekhina are, in fact, no longer members of Russian punk group Pussy Riot.
The statement declares that “Unfortunately for us, they are being so carried away with the problems in Russian prisons, that they completely forgot about the aspirations and ideals of our group — feminism, separatist resistance, fight against authoritarianism and personality cult, all of which, as a matter of fact, was the cause for their unjust punishment.” Additionally, the letter claims that Tolokonnikova and Alekhina have refused to make contact with their fellow members in recent days. Tolokonnikova and Alekhina have yet to make a statement on the matter.
Just this week, Tolokonnikova and Alekhina appeared on the Colbert Report under the Pussy Riot name to discuss their time spent in prison after being arrested in February, 2012 for a demonstration/performance in a cathedral. Check out the full (and quite interesting) interview here.
