Russian PM argues for Pussy Riot members release

PARTSA, Russia (AP) - Russia's Prime Minister said on Friday the women in the Pussy Riot punk band serving two-year prison sentences should be set free, while a band member's husband tried to visit his wife in jail in a central Russian region known for its gloomy Stalinist-era gulags.

Three members of the band were convicted on hooliganism charges in August for performing a "punk prayer" at Moscow's main cathedral during which they pleaded with the Virgin Mary for deliverance from President Vladimir Putin.

One of them, Yekaterina Samutsevich, was released on appeal last month, but the other two, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and Maria Alekhina, were sent to prison camps to serve their sentences.

Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said on Friday that he detested the Pussy Riot act, but added the women have been in prison long enough and should be released. He made a similar statement before October's appeal hearings, fueling speculation about their possible release.