MOSCOW (AFP) - A Russian court on Friday ruled to keep a member of punk band Pussy Riot in prison, after she appealed an earlier decision denying her release on parole from her sentence over a church protest against President Vladimir Putin.

The Supreme court in the region of Mordovia upheld an earlier court decision to deny parole to Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, said art group Voina, which is closely associated with Pussy Riot and followed the hearing on Twitter.

A court in April turned down Tolokonnikova's parole request because of reprimands issued in the penal colony and her refusal to repent.