Prosecutors have asked for three-year sentences on each of the feminist punk band that performed a protest stunt against Vladimir Putin in Moscow's main cathedral.

The hooliganism charges the three women are facing carry a sentence of up to seven years in prison.

Prosecutor Alexander Nikiforov said in court that three years would take into account the fact that two of the defendants are young mothers.

Members of the band say they did not mean to hurt anyone's religious feelings when they performed a "punk prayer" in Christ the Saviour cathedral in February against Mr Putin's return to the Russian presidency.

Their case is part of a widening government crackdown on dissent that followed Mr Putin's election in March and caused strong protests in Russia and abroad.

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