Two women from the Russian punk group Pussy Riot said Wednesday that their 21-month incarceration in Russia's penal system for having staged a political protest in a Moscow cathedral had emboldened them to speak out more forcefully against President Vladimir V. Putin, partly because of the global support they received.
In an interview with the editorial board of The New York Times, the women said they had no fear of any further imprisonment and suggested they may even run for political office in Russia someday. They also advocated political protests at the Winter Olympic Games, which are about to commence in Sochi. And they expressed admiration for the political protest movement underway in Ukraine, saying they hope it creates an infectious spirit in Russia.
"What happened was that the support and care shown internationally around the world made us free even though, physically, we were behind bars," one of the members, Maria Alyokhina, 25, said in Russian through a translator in response to the question of whether prison had intimidated them. "In light of that, it's kind of silly to talk about having to go through that a second time as something that would instill fear in us."
Her colleague, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, 24, said: "This is certainly not the time for us to be afraid. In these two years since the act for which we were imprisoned, the situation in Russia has gotten so much worse. And if we couldn't keep quiet about it then, then we certainly won't keep quiet about it now."
Both women were in New York as part of an international tour that has included stops in Asia and Europe since their release from prison on Dec. 23, near the end of a two-year term, for having conducted a protest performance in Moscow's main cathedral. They were released under an amnesty law that has been widely viewed as a means for Mr. Putin to reduce or eliminate criticism of Russia during the Olympics.
The incarceration of the women on charges of hooliganism and inciting religious hatred elevated their stature into global symbols of human rights and freedom in Russia. Since their release they have vowed to promote feminism, gay rights, improved treatment of prisoners and more transparency in the Russian political system.
They arrived in New York on Tuesday and were scheduled to appear Wednesday evening at an Amnesty International benefit concert at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, sharing the stage with Madonna, Lauryn Hill, Imagine Dragons, the Flaming Lips and others.
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