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

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 attention of the Russian authorities after staging a protest towards 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 speak out in opposition to the Kremlin chief, with Ms Alyokhina remaining determined to battle Mr Putin's system.

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

In April, Russian authorities positioned her under 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 chief managed to evade the Moscow police by disguising herself as a food courier and leaving her phone behind as a decoy.

She was then in a position to cross into Lithuania after looking for the help of an artist from Iceland, who secured her journey paperwork.

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

"I still don't perceive completely what I've finished."

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Ms Alyokhina added: "I do not suppose Russia has a proper to exist anymore.

"Even before, there were questions about how it's united, by what values it is united, and where it's going. But now I don't suppose that is a question anymore."

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