The single mother who has become the face of Vladimir Putin's opposition From left: Pussy Riot members Yekaterina Samutsevic, Maria Alyokhina and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova (EPA) All these cases have their quirks, but the problem is no one is doing anything about it. Russia is slowly sinking into a swamp,"said Ms Baronova. But if she does go to prison, she believes she will take something from the experience. Imagine the experience - a free, state-paid excursion to Russian jail. You could write a great book about that! I've never been to a Russian jail. It'd be really interesting to see what it's like," she said. Her path to activism was typical of Russia's city-centred protesting classes. She attended her first demonstration in December 2011 when fraud at parliamentary elections drove thousands out onto the streets, ending an era of entrenched political cynicism that followed the calamities of 1990s Russia. "We'll be swallowed up and disappear," she said. We'll get tired, we'll be jailed and then be released. But new people will come in our places and they will succeed and that's why it's important to show people your example, to stand up for your civic position. Investigators say they have video evidence of Baronova at the scene calling on protesters to attack police. Baronova says the voice on the video sounds like hers, but denies the words are hers and said the video had been "edited." Investigators are tracking dozens of suspects and are still bringing new charges against activists. Late last month, activist Alexei Gaskarov left his flat to buy cat food and was detained by police for questioning as a witness. Gaskarov joins 15 others being held in custody pending trial. Four are being held under house arrest and denied access to the outside world. Two have pleaded guilty and been convicted to four and half years and two and half years. The rest are not allowed to leave Moscow under their bail conditions.