 Following her release , Alyokhina went to meet with human rights activists . " We didn 't ask for any pardon . I would have sat here until the end of my sentence because I don 't need mercy from Putin , " Maria Alyokhina told the New York Times after her release . " I think this is an attempt to improve the image of the current government , a little , before the Sochi Olympics — particularly for the Western Europeans . But I don 't consider this humane or merciful . This is a lie . " Tolokonnikova also said , " Whether one likes it or not , going to the Olympics in Russia is an acceptance of the internal political situation in Russia , an acceptance of the course taken by a person who is interested in the Olympics above all else — Vladimir Putin . " 
