Pussy Riot member denied bail despite plea from McCartney

The decision followed a plea by Sir Paul McCartney for authorities to consider releasing band members on parole.

In its ruling yesterday, the court accepted a claim by prosecutors that Maria Alyokhina had systematically disobeyed prison authorities and failed to repent for her crime, Russian media reported.

Ms Alyokhina went on a hunger strike yesterday after being barred from the court hearing in Perm province, and she ordered her defence not to participate.

Band members Ms Alyokhina, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and Yekaterina Samutsevich gained notoriety last year when a Moscow court jailed them for two years for “hooliganism motivated by religious hatred” following a protest performance at a cathedral in Moscow last year, where they sang a song critical of Vladimir Putin.

Ms Samtusevich was later released on appeal.

Ms Alyokhina’s lawyer said she would appeal against the court’s decision.

A court in the province of Mordovia denied Ms Tolokonnikova parole last month.

Sir Paul had sent handwritten notes to the Russian authorities after Ms Alyokhina declared she would go on hunger strike when she was denied permission to attend a parole hearing.

In one of his letters Sir Paul said: “My personal belief is that further incarceration for Maria will be harmful for her and the situation as a whole, which, of course, is being watched by people all over the world. In the great tradition of fair-mindedness which the Russian people (many of whom are my friends) are famous for, I believe that you granting this request would send a very positive message to all the people who have followed this case.”