Pussy Riot joins Madonna, Flaming Lips, Bob Geldof, and others at Amnesty International concert

Members of the Russian punk band Pussy Riot took to the stage last night in Brooklyn as part of an Amnesty International concert in support of human rights.

Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and Maria Alekhina were jailed for 21 months after their band mocked the Russian Orthodox Church in a performance in a cathedral.

Russian president Vladimir Putin released them from prison before the Sochi Olympics were to begin.

The Pussy Riot members were joined by Madonna, Debbie Harry, the Flaming Lips, Bob Geldof, Tegan and Sara, Ms. Lauryn Hill, Yoko Ono, and others at Amnesty's "Bringing Human Rights Home" concert at the Barclays Centre.

Prior to the show, festival founder Tim Hayes said that he wanted the event to "help raise awareness about the LGBT community in Russia", which is being persecuted by the Putin government.

Hayes described Pussy Riot as "important activists...who have faced prison for expressing dissenting views about the government and religion".