Russian protest punk act Pussy Riot to remain in jail

Members of anti-Putin punk act Pussy Riot were arrested in March and have now been told they will remain in jail.

The all-girl punk act stormed an orthodox cathedral in Moscow in February this year to protest the relationship between the church and Vladimir Putin.

In March three of the members – Maria Alyokhina, Yekaterina Samutsevich and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova – were arrested on charges of “hooliganism” stemming from the performance in the church.

A Russian court has decreed that the women will have to remain in prison until late-July while their case continues to be investigated, and they face up to seven years in jail.

The three women are regarded as political prisoners by the Union Of Solidarity with Political Prisoners and Amnesty International consider them prisoners of conscience.

Their defence lawyers have filed an appeal against their detention to the European Court of Human Rights.

Footage of the protest has been posted on YouTube.