An attorney for three members of punk band Pussy Riot has filed to appeal a Russian court's decision to jail them for two years following their controversial Performance in a church earlier this year.
Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, 23, Maria Alekhina, 24, and Yekaterina Samutsevich, 29, were found guilty of hooliganism charges on 17 August after taking aim at President Vladimir Putin in the song Holy S**t during a Moscow church gig in February.
They were sentenced to serve two years behind bars for the crime, but on Monday a legal representative for the band, lawyer Violetta Volkova, filed papers at the Khamovniki court in a bid to overturn the verdict, according to the Associated Press.
The news comes just days after two other Pussy Riot bandmates, suspected of taking part in the incident, fled the country to avoid prosecution after detectives launched a search to find all other persons involved.
The case has gained widespread media attention across the world, with dozens of celebrities, including Madonna and Sir Paul McCartney, calling for the group's freedom.
