On Monday, Polish authorities released Aysoltan Niyazova, a member of the punk band Pussy Riot, after her detention over the weekend at the request of Turkmenistan.

Her release was confirmed by fellow band member Lucy Shtein in statements to the exiled media platform Novaya Gazeta Europe. The publication reported that Niyazova’s humanitarian residence permit in Lithuania and a favorable court ruling from 2022 in Croatia played a role in the decision to release her.

The Moscow Times has reached out to Pussy Riot for further comments.

Niyazova was apprehended by Polish border guards on Saturday due to an Interpol “red notice” that Turkmenistan had issued back in 2002. She is accused by Turkmen authorities of misappropriating funds from the Central Bank.

This was not the first time Niyazova faced detention based on this request. In 2011, Switzerland declined to extradite her to Turkmenistan but sent her to Russia, where she served six years in prison on embezzlement charges. Similar incidents occurred in Slovenia and Croatia, where she was briefly held before being released.

According to Novaya Gazeta Europe, Niyazova’s father, Kurbanburad Niyazov, was a supporter of Turkmenistan’s opposition and died in prison. Niyazova has expressed that her persecution is linked to her political beliefs and has never held citizenship in Turkmenistan.

Turkmenistan, a former Soviet republic in Central Asia, is regarded by human rights organizations as one of the most oppressive regimes in the world.