Russian PM Wants Pussy Riot Members Freed

Dmitry Medvedev says having the three women in prison is "unproductive"

Dmitry Medvedev, the Russian prime minister, has called for three members of the punk band Pussy Riot to be freed, saying further time in prison would be "unproductive."

Medvedev's comments could signal the imminent release of the band members, whose case comes up for appeal on 1 October.

The women had already spent more than five months in jail when they were convicted in last month of "hooliganism driven by religious hatred" and sentenced to two years in prison.