Russian punk stars Maria Alyokhina and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova are set to come face-to-face with American prisoners after a meeting with New York City mayor Bill de Blasio.
The Pussy Riot stars had an hour-long private meeting with the mayor and his wife on Friday to discuss prison reforms and the correctional system in America, and they expressed an interest in meeting some American convicts, which Mr de Blasio agreed to arrange.
"We expressed the desire to visit some American prisons," the pair said via a translator after the meeting.
"We are extremely happy that this is possible."
Alyokhina and Tolokonnikova have been critical of Russian President Vladimir Putin and political conditions in their homeland.
They were sentenced to 21 months in jail in 2012 for hooliganism after performing a stunt inside a Moscow cathedral.
The pair were freed last December and have said their goal is to work toward bringing more transparency to Russian politics and the Russian prison system.
