Former Pussy Riot band members briefly detained in Sochi

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Two former members of the controversial feminist band Pussy Riot are free after being detained and questioned Tuesday in Sochi, Russia.

Authorities questioned the two women as suspects in a theft case at the Hotel Adler.

Police held Maria Alyokhina and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova after finding the women on the street with journalists, activists and their former bandmates.

Russian authorities beat the women, according to Tolokonnikova.

"They dragged me on the floor in the hall of the department, hands tied behind back and thrown to the floor," Tolokonnikova said in a tweet.

Pussy Riot has brought controversy because of its feminist views, criticism of President Vladimir Putin and Russian laws.

The two former band members landed in prison for nearly two years after being convicted of "hooliganism." They were also convicted of inciting religious hatred after performing the song "Punk Prayer" in a Russian church.