Pussy Riot's Maria Alyokhina freed from Russian prison Nadezhda Tolokonnikova released from prison hospital in Siberia today Revealed by husband Pyotr Verzilov who wrote on Twitter 'Nadya is free!' Follows release of Maria Alyokhina from Russian jail this morning Alyokhina claimed Putin's amnesty was a 'PR stunt' and a 'profanation' Pussy Riot arrested in March last year after performing protest song A second member of the Russian feminist punk band Pussy Riot has been freed early from prison after President Vladimir Putin signed a sweeping amnesty. Nadezha Tolokonnikova, 24, was released from a prison hospital in Krasnoyarsk, Siberia, this morning, her delighted husband has revealed. It follows 25-year-old Maria Alyokhina's release from a jail in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, earlier today. Early release: Nadezha Tolokonnikova, 24, (right) was released from a prison hospital in Krasnoyarsk, Siberia, this morning, her husband has revealed. It follows the release of Maria Aloykhina, 25, (left) earlier today Free: Alyokhina was released from a prison in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, this morning after a sweeping amnesty Freedom: The member of Russian punk band Pussy Riot was accompanied by her lawyer Pyotr Zaikin (left) As Tolokonnikova walked out of the prison hospital, her husband Pyotr Verziloy wrote on his Twitter blog: 'Nadya is free!' The band members have been behind bars since their arrest in March last year for 'hooliganism motivated by racial hatred' after performing a protest song at the altar of Moscow's Cathedral of Christ the Savior. This morning, Alyokhina told the Russian TV channel Dozhd that she will now devote her life to defending human rights. She added that she believed the amnesty was a 'PR stunt' and a 'profanation' - claiming she would rather have remained in prison, according to the BBC. 'I don't think the amnesty is a humanitarian act, I think it's a PR stunt,' she told TV crews. If I had a choice to refuse I would. Interview: Speaking to a Russian TV channel, Alyokhina said she will devote her life to defending human rights Locked up: Alyokhina, left, and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, right, have been behind bars since March last year Performance: The band performed a protest song at the altar of Moscow's Cathedral of Christ the Savior The amnesty bill - passed by the Russian parliament last week - allows the release of thousands of inmates across the country. Alyokhina and Tolokonnikova had been due for release in March, but qualified for early freedom because they have small children. A third band member Yekaterina Samutsevich had her sentence suspended earlier this year. Following their arrest, the band members insisted their protest was meant to raise concern about increasingly close ties between the state and the church. The two women, along with Yekaterina Samutsevich, left, were arrested for 'hooliganism motivated by racial hatred' after performing the anti-Putin song. Samutsevich had her sentence suspended earlier this year Delight: As Tolokonnikova walked out of the prison hospital, her husband Pyotr Verziloy wrote on his Twitter blog: 'Nadya is free!' The case attracted worldwide attention and the arrests drew condemnation from Western artists, including Sting, Yoko Ono and Madonna. The women's church performance resulted in a video, 'Punk Prayer: Mother of God Drive Putin Away', which they posted on social media. Putin's amnesty - passed to mark the 20th anniversary of Russia's post-Soviet constitution - has been largely viewed as the Kremlin's attempt to soothe criticism of Russia's human rights records ahead of the Winter Olympics in Sochi in February. Lawyers say it will also enable 30 people arrested in a Greenpeace protest against Arctic oil drilling to avoid trial Amnesty: Russian President Vladimir Putin's amnesty order was passed to mark the 20th anniversary of Russia's post-Soviet constitution. It will also enable 30 Greenpeace protestors to avoid trial, say lawyers However, Putin has said the amnesty was not drafted with the Greenpeace activists or Pussy Riot in mind. Alyokhina and Tolokonnikova's release comes just days after Putin pardoned Mikhail Khodorkovsky, a former oil tycoon and once Russia's richest man, who spent a decade in prison after challenging Putin's power. Khodorkovsky flew to Germany after release and said he will stay out of politics. He pledged, however, to fight for the release of political prisoners in Russia. Russia's Supreme Court earlier this month ordered a review of the Pussy Riot case, saying that a lower court did not fully prove their guilt and did not take their family circumstances into consideration when passing on the verdict.