2 Pussy Rioters Briefly Detained Over Sochi Theft

Police say the women were released 3 hours later
By Matt Cantor,  Newser Staff
Posted Feb 18, 2014 6:03 AM CST
Updated Feb 18, 2014 9:02 AM CST
2 Pussy Riot Members Detained in Sochi: Reports
Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, right, and Maria Alekhina of Pussy Riot participate in a press conference of the Cinema For Peace foundation in Berlin, Monday, Feb. 10, 2014.   (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

Not long after their release from prison, two members of the Russian band Pussy Riot have again been detained, NBC News reports. This time, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and Maria Alyokhina were accused of theft, tweeted Tolokonnikova: "On the 16th we were detained for 7 hours, on 17th we spent 10 hours at the (Russian security service) FSB, and today we are riding in the police van, being accused of THEFT." Tolokonnikova's husband tells CNN the two were walking down a street with reporters when they were taken by police. An activist tells the AP he witnessed the scene, and says other activists were also detained.

Police told Russian media that the women were questioned regarding a theft at the hotel they're staying at (per Interfax, a purse was taken), that all the hotel's guests were taken in for questioning, and that Tolokonnikova and Alyokhina were released three hours later. Police said they had "no claims" against anyone questioned. Tolokonnikova tweeted today that she's in Sochi "to carry out Pussy Riot action. The song is called 'Putin will teach you to love your motherland.'" But the pair's status in the band is currently unclear after a letter from other Pussy Rioters said the two were "no longer members of the group," per RT. (More Pussy Riot stories.)

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