Pussy Riot band member Maria Alyokhina escapes Russia dressed as meals 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 got here 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 2 years in prison for their activism, the group continued to talk out against the Kremlin chief, with Ms Alyokhina remaining decided to fight Mr Putin's system.

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After being launched from prison, she continued her activism and set up a news outlet targeted on crime and punishment in Russia, referred to as Mediazona, with one other member of the band.

In April, Russian authorities positioned her underneath home arrest as they tried to stop those in the nation who opposed their invasion of Ukraine.

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

Nevertheless, 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 able to cross into Lithuania after searching for the help of an artist from Iceland, who secured her journey documents.

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

"I still do not perceive completely what I've accomplished."

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

"Even before, there have been questions about how it's united, by what values it is united, and where it's going. However now I do not think that may be a query anymore."

In 2019, fellow bandmate Nadya Tolokonikova spoke to Sky News about her time in a prison camp and protests taking place in Russia.