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"Two members of Russian punk band Pussy Riot were released from prison on Monday under Russia's new amnesty law, the BBC reports.\nNadezhda Tolokonnikova (above, left) and Maria Alyokhina (above, center), along with third band member Ekaterina Samutsevich, were jailed in August 2012 after performing a protest concert in the main Moscow cathedral in February. Tolokonnikova was imprisoned in Siberia; Alyokhina was held in a prison in Nizhny Novgorod, the fifth largest city in Russia.\nSee also: Get Lost in These 19 Fascinating Maps\nThe three were found guilty of \"hooliganism motivated by religious hatred,\" but Samutsevich was released in October 2012 on a suspended sentence. The other two women were due to be released in March 2014, but were freed three months early under the new amnesty law. The bill, which was passed by Russia's parliament and signed into law by Russian President Vladimir Putin, granted amnesty to some 20,000 prisoners, mostly first-time offenders, minors and mothers with small children. The law coincides with the 20th anniversary of the adoption of Russia's constitution.  \nMaria Alyokhina claimed the amnesty law was nothing but a \"PR stunt.\" With the Winter Olympics set to take place in Sochi, Russia, in less than two months, some believe the new law is an attempt by Russia to steer clear of international controversy. \n\"If I had a choice to refuse [the amnesty], I would have, without a doubt,\" she told Russian TV after she was released from prison. \nA group of Greenpeace activists that has become known as the \"Arctic 30\" are also expected to avoid prison time under the Russian amnesty law. The Russian military arrested the 30 aboard their ship Arctic Sunrise in September, when they were protesting oil drilling in arctic waters.\nIn a blog post, Greenpeace wrote that the law grants amnesty to those charged with hooliganism, which was the eventual charge against the 30 protesters. \n\"We sailed north to bear witness to a profound environmental threat but our ship was stormed by masked men wielding knives and guns,\" Peter Willcox, captain of the Arctic Sunrise, said in a written statement. \"Now it\u2019s nearly over and we may soon be truly free, but there\u2019s no amnesty for the Arctic.\"\nRussia initially accused the group members of piracy, which carries a 15 year maximum sentence. The charge was later reduced to hooliganism, which could have meant up to seven years in prison for each member of the Arctic 30.\nThough they were not allowed to leave Russia, all 30 members of the group were free on bail and awaiting trial for about a month at the time time of the amnesty law's passage last week. \nGreenpeace has not yet responded to our inquiry about when the 26 non-Russian members of the group will be able to return to their respective countries.\nEditor's note:  An earlier report erroneously pegged their release date to Dec. 19.\nHave something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.\nImage: AFP/Getty Images\n\n\nPussy Riot Freed\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nPussy Riot Freed\nMaria Alyokhina, a member of the Russian punk band, Pussy Riot, was freed from prison on Monday, December 23rd, 2013.\n\nImage: ANASTASIYA MAKARYCHEVA/AFP/Getty Images\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nPussy Riot Freed\nMari Alyokhina and her bandmates, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and Ekaterina Samutsevich were imprisoned in August 2012.\n\nImage: ANASTASIYA MAKARYCHEVA/AFP/Getty Images\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nPussy Riot Freed\nYekaterina Samutsevich, another member of the punk rock band, was released early on a suspended sentence. Nadezhda Tolokonnikova was released on Monday, December 23rd, 2013, with Alyokhina (pictured here).\n\nImage: ANASTASIYA MAKARYCHEVA/AFP/Getty Images\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nPussy Riot Freed\nThe band members have denounced the move as a \"public relations stunt.\"\n\nImage: ANASTASIYA MAKARYCHEVA/AFP/Getty Images\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nPussy Riot Freed\nTheir release marks the 20th anniversary of the adoption of the Russian constitution.\n\nImage: ANASTASIYA MAKARYCHEVA/AFP/Getty Images\n\n\n\n\n"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://mashable.com/2013/12/23/pussy-riot-freed/>