Pussy Riot Members Could Be Freed on Thursday in Duma Amnesty

Pussy Riot jailed members could be released as early as Thursday as Russia's parliament amended an amnesty bill.

The bill's amendment would also trigger the release of the 30-member crew of Greenpeace boat who were arrested after a protest at a floating oil rig in the Arctic.

The amnesty bill, which will free around 2,000 Russians such as minors, invalids, veterans, pregnant women and women with children, was passed in the Duma in two hearings. The third and final hearing is expected on Wednesday.

Once it becomes law, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and Maria Alyokhina – who are serving a two-year sentence for the punk prayer at Moscow's Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in February 2012 – could be released.

"We're hoping that in case the bill gets passed, Nadia and Masha will be released on Thursday," Verzilov told AP. "There's nothing to stop this."

Tolokonnikova was recently moved from Mordovia to the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk. The other Pussy Riot member is serving her time in a prison in the city of Nizhny Novgorod.

Pyotr Verzilov, Tolokonnikova's husband, said that officials at both prisons have said they are ready to release the Pussy Riot members as soon as the law is passed.

The latest Duma amendment includes also the Arctic 30 Greenpeace activists who are on bail and awaiting trial for hooliganism charges in Saint Petersburg.