The judge in the feminist punk band Pussy Riot trial has said she will deliver her verdict on August 17. A state prosecutor demands three years in prison for the band's three members.

      Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, 22, Maria Alyokhina, 24, and Yekaterina Samutsevich, 29, were detained in March after performing a song in Moscow's Christ the Saviour Cathedral. The song was was entitled "Holy Sh**t" and aimed against Russian leader Vladimir Putin. In particular, there were words "Virgin Mary, drive Putin out!"

      During the investigation process, all three members repeatedly said their "punk prayer" was a political act and wasn't aimed against the Orthodox Church and all Christians. However, the main accusation is an insult of Christians' feelings and fomenting of religious strife.

      A number of prominent Western artists and politicians have voiced concern over the case. The latest big public figure was U.S. pop legend Madonna, who spoke out for the three women during a concert in Moscow on Tuesday night. She performed her 1984 Like a Virginal hit wearing trademark colored balaclava and with the words Pussy Riot written across her back.