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

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

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

Despite being sentenced to 2 years in jail for their activism, the group continued to talk out against the Kremlin chief, with Ms Alyokhina remaining decided to struggle Mr Putin's system.

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

In April, Russian authorities placed her below home arrest as they tried to stop those in the country 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 food courier and leaving her cellphone behind as a decoy.

She was then in a position to cross into Lithuania after in search of the help of an artist from Iceland, who secured her travel documents.

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

"I nonetheless do not perceive fully what I've carried out."

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

"Even before, there have been questions about how it's united, by what values it is united, and the place it is going. However now I don't assume that is a query anymore."

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