Pussy Riot, Madonna slam Putin on the eve of the Winter Olympics (VIDEO)

GlobalPost

If Russian President Vladimir Putin is waiting for accolades on pulling off hosting the Winter Olympics in Sochi, he'll have to wait a little longer.

Two members of the Russian punk band Pussy Riot took to the stage at a star-studded concert in New York on Wednesday to denounce Putin on the eve of the games.

Superstars like Madonna and Yoko Ono were in attendance at the concert, which was organized by Amnesty International.

Pussy Riot members Maria Alyokhina, 25, and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, 24, delivered a furious and emotional rebuke of the Russian government.

"We will not forgive and we will not forget what the regime is doing to our fellow citizens. We demand a Russia that is free," Tolokonnikova told the crowd.

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Madonna said she had received death threats for supporting the Russian punk rockers during their trial in August 2012.

She also claimed she was accused by Russian authorities of propagating homosexual behavior.

"It's time for the rest of the world to be as brave as Pussy Riot and to stand up against people like President Putin and other leaders and other organizations that do not respect human rights and perpetuate discrimination and injustice," Madonna said.

Pussy Riot has called for a boycott of the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi and urged world leaders — including President Barack Obama — to speak out against human rights abuses in Russia.

"We would like for Americans to really look at Russia and see the country behind the Olympic buildings and objects," Alyokhina said. "The only thing that these objects have to do with the country is the taxpayers' money that has been stolen to raise them."

Both Alyokhina and Tolokonnikova were released from Russian prison just last December, but have remained defiant about criticizing Putin's government.

Pussy Riot did not perform at Wednesday's concert, but a host of other artists including Blondie, the Flaming Lips, Imagine Dragons, Cold War Kids and Lauryn Hill entertained the crowds at Brooklyn's Barclays Center.

More from GlobalPost: Pussy Riot freed, remain defiant

Agence France-Presse contributed to this report.

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