Video Related To: Court to hear Pussy Riot appeal

Russian prime minister Dmitry Medvedev has said he believes three band members jailed for singing a song criticising Vladimir Putin should be freed. The Pussy Riot singers were convicted last month after they staged a protest against Mr Putin in a Moscow cathedral. Mr Medvedev, who was president for four years, said: "A suspended sentence, taking into account time they have already spent (in jail), would be entirely sufficient." Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, Maria Alyokhina and Yekaterina Samutsevich were convicted of hooliganism, motivated by religious hatred on August 17 after belting out a song criticising Mr Putin, who was then prime minister, in Moscow's main cathedral in February. They have been in jail since March and their appeal against the verdict and two-year jail terms is due to start on October 1. Their lawyer Nikolai Polozov said Mr Medvedev's comments indicated the government was concerned about the level of criticism it has faced. He said: "We see that the rhetoric is changing. The authorities, in the form of Dmitry Medvedev, have realised that this story has gone way too far." Madonna Pussy Riot Moscow Madonna performing in Moscow in August Western governments and singers such as Madonna and Sir Paul McCartney have condemned their two-year jail terms as excessive. Madonna has paid tribute to the band during her performances over recent months. However, despite Mr Medvedev's statement, a member of the defence team, Mark Feigin, doubted it would lead to shorter <b>...</b>