CNN, and a whole lot of other news organizations, are reporting that the two jailed members of Pussy Riot have been freed from prison. The release is just about two months before they were set to be released. Maria Alyokhina and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova were released under an amnesty bill signed by Putin designed to commemorate 20 years since the adoption of a post-communist constitution.

However, the released members of Pussy Riot stated that they felt that the release was political move. Pyotr Verzilov, Tolokonnikova's husband, stated "President Putin obviously used this amnesty option to (brighten) up his image before the Olympic games."