Pussy Riot lodge appeal

Three members of Pussy Riot have lodged an appeal over a court’s decision to jail them for two years for their “punk prayer” against Russian leader Vladimir Putin in a Moscow cathedral, their lawyer said yesterday.

The stunt angered Russia’s dominant Orthodox Church, but the women’s trial and punishment also upset human rights activists and critics of Putin.

The women were sentenced on Aug 17, and their lawyer, Violetta Volkova, said the appeal was submitted to the Khamovniki district court yesterday.