Maria Alyokhina (pictured), member of Russian feminist punk band Pussy Riot, walked free this morning under amnesty that allowed her an early release from her two year prison sentence for protesting President Putin.

Tolokonnikova, another Pussy Riot member convicted of ‘hooliganism’, is also due to be released under the amnesty proposed by Vladimir Putin.

Three members of Pussy Riot were arrested for their protest in which they performed a “punk prayer” at a cathedral in Moscow, which criticised Putin and his ties with the Orthodox church. The third member had her sentence suspended earlier this year.

“In this situation, I was just a body being moved in space, nothing depended on me,” she said. “If I had a choice to refuse [the amnesty], I would have, without a doubt,” she added.

Lawyers say the amnesty will also ensure that the 30 Greenpeace activists arrested for their protest against Arctic drilling will also be able to avoid trial.

President Putin says the amnesty was proposed to mark the 20th anniversary of Russia’s post-Soviet constitution, and was not drafted with Pussy Riot or Greenpeace in mind.

The arrest of the Pussy Riot members in 2012 sparked international outrage, prompting dozens of well known musicians, including Bjork, Peaches, Madonna, Paul McCartney and Sting to voice their support for the imprisoned activists.