One Pussy Riot member released from jail

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One of the three members of jailed anti-Kremlin group Pussy Riot has been released from prison.

The New York Times reports that Yekaterina Samutsevich, pictured above, has been freed after reconsideration of her part in the initial “punk protest” that led to the trio’s sentence.

After much lobbying to the Russian government, it was deemed that Samutsevich played a much less serious role than the other pair.

However, Samutsevich has vowed to continue with the group’s protests – telling CNN on Wednesday:

“We are not finished, nor are we going to end our political protest. We have to act in such a way that they do not learn about concerts ahead of time and arrest us.”

Last month the three members of the punk band were found guilty of “hooliganism motivated by religious hatred” and were sentenced to two years in jail.

The trio had been the subject of a lengthy trial following the performance of a “punk prayer” in the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour. The song requested that the Virgin Mary drive Russian president Vladimir Putin from power.

Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, 22, Maria Alyokhina, 24, and Yekaterina Samutsevich, 30, have been named prisoners of conscience by Amnesty International. They have become a cause celebre since their incarceration, with musicians including Madonna and Paul McCartney voicing their support.

You can watch the performance that led to their initial arrest below: