BBC's Pavel Bandakov: 'The Olympics are closely connected to what's going on' Photo: BBC

She told a Russian TV channel the amnesty was a "PR stunt" and she would rather have remained in prison.

The release of fellow band member Nadezhda Tolokonnikova is also expected later on Monday.

The women were jailed in August 2012 for "hooliganism motivated by religious hatred" after performing a protest song in Moscow's main cathedral.

Their conviction was criticised by rights groups, anti-Putin activists and foreign governments.

Their sentences were due to end in March 2014, but they have known since last week that their release was imminent under a law signed by the Russian parliament which gave amnesty to some 20,000 prisoners, including mothers. Both have young children.

The amnesty was widely seen as attempt to avoid controversy overshadowing the Winter Olympics, being hosted in Russia's Black Sea resort of Sochi in February.

Former oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky - once Russia's richest man - was also pardoned on Friday and freed after more than 10 years in prison for fraud and tax evasion.

Views unchanged

Speaking to Russian television after her release, Alyokhina said her views of President Putin had not changed and that the amnesty was "a profanation" and "a PR exercise".

"If I had a choice to refuse [the amnesty], I would have, without a doubt," she added.

Russian media quoted a friend of Alyokhina as saying she had wanted to serve out her sentence as she was concerned for the safety of fellow prisoners and wanted to protect them.

Alyokhina and Tolokonnikova were both convicted after performing an obscenity-laced song called Punk Prayer in Moscow's Christ the Saviour cathedral in February 2012.

Nadezhda Tolokonnikova is also expected to be released under the amnesty

The song was heavily critical of the Orthodox Church's support for Russian President Vladimir Putin, calling on the Virgin Mary to "throw Putin out".

A third Pussy Riot protester, Yekaterina Samutsevich, was also jailed, but was released on appeal in October 2012.

Tolokonnikova has received her release documents and is expected to be free soon, Russia's Ria Novostia news agency reported.

Her husband Pyotr Verzilov told the BBC that news of the women's release "was a bit of an image-lightening process for President Putin".

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"The only thing they have acquired over their two years in prison is their confidence to continue fighting Putin's regime even harder, because, well, this is the only thing that can change things in our country," he said.

Charges against 30 people arrested while taking part in a Greenpeace protest at a Russian Arctic offshore oil rig may also be dropped later this week under the amnesty law.

The group - mostly foreign activists - have been charged with hooliganism.

Mr Khodorkovsky's surprise release was approved by Mr Putin last week. He was pardoned on humanitarian grounds, because his mother is seriously ill.

The former tycoon has always insisted his conviction was politically motivated, because of his financial support for opposition parties.

Speaking from Berlin, where he flew after being freed, he said he would stay out of politics, but would do all he could to free Russia's other political prisoners.