MOSCOW, July 19 - RAPSI, Diana Gutsul. The attorney of the arrested Pussy Riot members believes that the request by the State Duma Committee on Family, Women and Children's Issues to Prosecutor General Yuri Chaika to look into all the rallies the arrested women were involved in puts additional pressure on the case, attorney Nikolai Polozov told the Russian Legal Information Agency.

On February 21, five masked members of the Pussy Riot punk group performed a protest song titled "Holy Sh*t" at the altar of the Christ the Savior Cathedral in Moscow.

A video of their performance was posted on the Internet and incited a major public uproar. Tolokonnikova, Alekhina and Samutsevich were arrested. They face up to seven years in prison on hooliganism charges.

"I can only see this as a negative step. The State Duma should have more important things to do than prosecuting our defendants. Materials for initiating a criminal case under articles inciting hatred and animosity have already been prepared. This is, we believe, evidence of ongoing repression and the stepping up of the pressure on the case," Polozov.

The Pussy Riot case proceedings will commence on July 20.