Russian punks PUSSY RIOT may be doing all they can to protest the rule of Russia's President, Vladimir Putin but the country's Prime Minister, Dimitri Medvedev is trying his hardest not to further anger the supporters of the group. Medvedev has reportedly declared that jailed women should be released.

The PM has revealed that whilst he found the actions of the three women sickening at first, he has since said that the five months they have spent in pre-trial detention was punishment enough. The three members of the group, Maria Alyokhina, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and Yekaterina Samutsevich were found guilty of "hooliganism motivated by religious hatred" in August this year after filming an anti-Putin video on 21 February in the Christ the Saviour Cathedral in Moscow. They were sentenced to two years in prison each, on top of their extended stay in prison prior to the trial going to court. The act was declared as a 'punk prayer' by the group and also tackled the subject of the Russian Orthodox Church's support of Mr Putin.

The women's case comes up for appeal on 1 October, although it is unknown whether the statement from Mr Medvedev will help soften the blow for them. Although he is the Prime Minister of the country, Mr Medvedev has only limited influence in the country, with President Putin wielding the majority of the power in the former Soviet nation.