Pussy Riot band member Maria Alyokhina escapes Russia dressed as food courier after criticising Putin | World News

Political activist and member of the Russian band Pussy Riot has reportedly fled the country disguised as a meals courier after criticising Vladimir Putin.

Maria Alyokhina and her fellow band members first came to the eye of the Russian authorities after staging a protest in opposition to the Russian president inside Moscow's Christ the Savior Cathedral in 2012.

Regardless of being sentenced to two years in jail for his or her activism, the group continued to talk out in opposition to the Kremlin chief, with Ms Alyokhina remaining determined to battle Mr Putin's system.

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After being released from prison, she continued her activism and set up a information outlet targeted on crime and punishment in Russia, known as Mediazona, with another member of the band.

In April, Russian authorities positioned her under house arrest as they tried to stop these in the country who opposed their invasion of Ukraine.

The 33-year-old was then ordered to spend 21 days in a penal colony.

Nonetheless, the band leader managed to evade the Moscow police by disguising herself as a meals courier and leaving her phone behind as a decoy.

She was then in a position to cross into Lithuania after seeking the assistance of an artist from Iceland, who secured her travel paperwork.

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Evaluating her story to a "spy novel", Ms Alyokhina informed The New York Times: "I was glad that I made it, as a result of it was an unpredictable and large kiss-off to the Russian authorities.

"I nonetheless don't perceive fully what I've accomplished."

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Ms Alyokhina added: "I don't suppose Russia has a right to exist anymore.

"Even earlier than, there were questions on how it's united, by what values it is united, and where it is going. But now I don't think that could be a query anymore."

In 2019, fellow bandmate Nadya Tolokonikova spoke to Sky Information about her time in a prison camp and protests going down in Russia.