Punk Band: 2 Wanted Band Members Flee Russia to Avoid Arrest
Pussy Riot members, from left, Maria Alekhina, Yekaterina Samutsevich, and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova show the court's verdict as they sit in a glass cage at a courtroom in Moscow, August 17, 2012.
The Russian punk band Pussy Riot says two members wanted by Russian authorities have fled the country to escape arrest.
The feminist band tweeted on Sunday that two band mates were currently "recruiting foreign feminists to prepare for new actions."
Pussy Riot's three other band members were convicted earlier this month on charges of "hooliganism" and are currently serving a two-year jail sentence.
They were arrested after performing a song inside Moscow's main cathedral in February that ridiculed President Vladimir Putin and his close ties to the Orthodox church.
Photo Gallery
Worldwide demonstrations in support of Pussy Riot
1/14A masked demonstrator in support of the Russian punk group Pussy Riot outside Russia's embassy in Berlin.
The balaclavas of the Russian punk rock band Pussy Riot have sprouted up across the world as demonstrators come out to show their support.
2/14Demonstrators protest outside Spain's Foreign Office in Madrid.
The balaclavas of the Russian punk rock band Pussy Riot have sprouted up across the world as demonstrators come out to show their support.
3/14Protesters hold placards in support of Pussy Riot outside Russia's embassy in Tel Aviv, Israel.
The balaclavas of the Russian punk rock band Pussy Riot have sprouted up across the world as demonstrators come out to show their support.
4/14Pussy Riot members, from left, Maria Alekhina, Yekaterina Samutsevich, and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova show the court's verdict as they sit in a glass cage at a courtroom in Moscow, August 17, 2012.
The balaclavas of the Russian punk rock band Pussy Riot have sprouted up across the world as demonstrators come out to show their support.
5/14A Russian man holds a doll dressed like a member of the band at an opposition rally in downtown Moscow.
The balaclavas of the Russian punk rock band Pussy Riot have sprouted up across the world as demonstrators come out to show their support.
6/14A protester is arrested in front of the Russian consulate in New York.
The balaclavas of the Russian punk rock band Pussy Riot have sprouted up across the world as demonstrators come out to show their support.
7/14Pussy Riot supporters behind barricades surrounding a court in Moscow.
The balaclavas of the Russian punk rock band Pussy Riot have sprouted up across the world as demonstrators come out to show their support.
8/14A masked man attends a Pussy Riot support rally in Sydney.
The balaclavas of the Russian punk rock band Pussy Riot have sprouted up across the world as demonstrators come out to show their support.
9/14Activists protest in front of the Russian delegation to the European Union in Brussels.
The balaclavas of the Russian punk rock band Pussy Riot have sprouted up across the world as demonstrators come out to show their support.
10/14Pussy Riot supporters walk through downtown Warsaw to leave a petition at the Russian Embassy to demand their release.
The balaclavas of the Russian punk rock band Pussy Riot have sprouted up across the world as demonstrators come out to show their support.
11/14A demonstrator in front of the Savior of Spilled Blood Cathedral in St. Petersburg, Russia.
The balaclavas of the Russian punk rock band Pussy Riot have sprouted up across the world as demonstrators come out to show their support.
12/14A supporter shouts during a gathering outside the Russian embassy in Kiev.
The balaclavas of the Russian punk rock band Pussy Riot have sprouted up across the world as demonstrators come out to show their support.
13/14A masked activist from Amnesty International protests next to the street sign of "Pussy-Riot-Platz" in Munich.
The balaclavas of the Russian punk rock band Pussy Riot have sprouted up across the world as demonstrators come out to show their support.
14/14Protesters wear masks outside the Russian Embassy in Mexico.
The balaclavas of the Russian punk rock band Pussy Riot have sprouted up across the world as demonstrators come out to show their support.
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Shortly after the sentencing, authorities announced they were searching for the two band mates who had remained free.
Putin's critics say the trial is an example of Russia's intolerance for dissent.
The case has prompted calls for leniency from an array of international musicians, celebrities, and ordinary Russians.
Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.
The Voice of America provides news and information in more than 40 languages to an estimated weekly audience of over 326 million people. Stories with the VOA News byline are the work of multiple VOA journalists and may contain information from wire service reports.
