Pussy Riot's Nadya Tolokonnikova and Maria Alekhina have launched an independent news service that will focus in the courts, law enforcement, and the prison system in Russia. The news source is called MediaZona, and according to a press release, the outlet will work closely with Pussy Riot's prisoners' rights NGO Zona Prava, which was launched earlier this year. This is MediaZona's website. (Note: all content is in Russian.)

Notable political journalist Sergey Smirnov serves as the site's Editor-in-Chief.

According to the press release, Tolokonnikova aims to use to the site to fill in the information gaps caused by government restrictions on independent media in Russia (an issue that's been percolating since the beginning of 2014):

"Since our release from prison 6 months ago we've felt that Russian media are no longer able to cover what is going on. Because of the heavy censorship by authorities there is no space for anything in the media that criticizes Putin's policies and tracks human rights abuses by Russian courts and law enforcement. Courts, prisons, arrests, convictions, riots in facilities, political criminal cases, crimes by law enforcement officials - our new media outlet will try to cover it all."

According to Alekhina:

"There is hardly any political issues left in Russia outside of courtrooms - and there is a great need for transparency and media coverage of things that are happening down there, so we hope that Mediazona will help close that gap and change the face of independent Russian media."

Writing on Facebook, Tolokonnikova adds:

Today we opened up our very own NEWS OUTLET. Today's launch is the answer to your questions about what we were doing since we got out at New Years' eve last year. We got out of "the zone" to create our own "zones". And here it is: http://www.zona.media

Below, watch Pussy Riot's 2012 performance at a Moscow church, which caused them to be arrested for "hooliganism motivated by religious hatred". Nadya Tolokonnikova and Masha Alyokhina are suing the Russian government for this imprisonment, alleging torture and a violation of their rights.

Revisit our interview with Tolokonnikova and Masha Alyokhina.