Russian authorities confirm transfer of jailed Pussy Riot member

MOSCOW, Nov. 14 (UPI) -- Russian authorities have confirmed that jailed Pussy Riot member Nadezhda Tolokonnikova has been moved to a prison in Siberia.

Tolokonnikova, who is serving a two-year sentence for hooliganism for a "punk rock prayer" her band performed at a Russian Orthodox cathedral in Moscow, was moved out of a prison in the republic of Mordovia after she started a hunger strike last month, RIA Novosti reported.

At the time of her transfer, prison authorities declined to tell relatives and colleagues where she had been taken, prompting international outrage. She was last seen by her lawyer on Oct. 18.

In a statement last week, Denis Krivosheyev, Europe and Central Asia deputy director at Amnesty International, said that Tolokonnikova's transfer may have been due to her complaints and hunger strike over prison conditions.

The Federal Penitentiary Service said Wednesday that Tolokonnikova had arrived at a penitentiary in the Krasnoyarsk territory and that her family has been informed of the transfer in accordance with the law.