'We Are Not Pussy Riot Now' Say Recently Released Members

Pussy Riot Profile

Speaking at a press conference in Moscow for the first time since their release earlier this week, the two recently freed Pussy Riot members Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and Maria Alyokhin have said they will focus on campaigning for prisoners' rights in the near future, rather than playing shows.

“We feel a huge responsibility for people who are in prisons,” Tolokonnikova said, revealing that her and Alyokhin would focus their efforts on establishing Zona Prava (Justice Zone), an independent human rights organisation. The organisation will look to offer legal aid to prisoners suffering from violence, threats, abuse and overwork.

“We already started to do this [human rights work] in the camp. There we had nothing; the only thing we had was our will," Tolokonnikova said, according to Rolling Stone. "After my hunger strike and letter, the 16-hour slave-working day has become a thing of the past, and they've begun to release people on parole. Fear has appeared among the guards at the colony. It's unbelievably important now to continue this work."

“We really are provocateurs. But there's no need to say that word like it's a swear word,” Alyokhina added. “Art is always provocation.”

The two women will try and help further through associating with Russian businessman and vigorous protestor of current Russian president Vladmir Putin, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, a so-called prisoner of conscience who was released from prison last week after serving ten years.

“We won't ask anyone for financial assistance,” Tolokonnikova said, The Hollywood Reporter reports. “Khodorkovsky is very important for us as a very strong and resilient person. We hope to be able to collaborate on an ideological level.”

Music will not be an important part of the two recently released women's lives, though. They believe they can spread the word without exploiting the Pussy Riot name.

“We are not Pussy Riot now,” Tolokonnikova said.

“We can promote our cause without playing any shows,” Alyokhina added. “And we will never play any shows for money.”