MOSCOW, August 28 - RAPSI. Members of the punk rock group Pussy Riot have appealed the Moscow Khamovnichesky District Court's decision sentencing the women to two years in prison for their protest at the Christ the Savior Cathedral, attorney Violetta Volkova told the Russian Legal Information Agency (RAPSI/rapsinews.com).

On February 21, 2012, five girls wearing brightly colored balaclavas stormed the altar of Moscow's Christ the Savior Cathedral to perform a protest song entitled, "Holy Sh*t." Shortly thereafter, an edited video of the performance that was uploaded to the Internet incited a public outcry.

Pussy Riot members Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, Maria Alyokhina and Yekaterina Samutsevich were convicted of hooliganism and sentenced on August 17.
In accordance with the law, the sentence has not yet taken effect.

Darya Lakh, Moscow Khamovnichesky District Court press secretary, has told RAPSI that the court has received the appeal and the scheduling of the hearing will depend on several procedure issues.