Comments could signal the early release of the band members, whose case comes up for appeal on 1 October

This article is more than 8 years old

This article is more than 8 years old

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.

They were arrested after performing a raucous prayer inside Moscow's main cathedral asking the Virgin Mary to save Russia from its president, Vladimir Putin. The imprisonment of the women has led to protests around the world and highlighted concerns about Putin's crackdown on dissent.