Pussy Riot punk trio appeal postponed MOSCOW - A Russian court on Monday postponed the appeal of three members of jailed rock band Pussy Riot until October 10 after one group member fired her lawyers. The three performers were sentenced in August to two years in prison for hooliganism for performing a "punk prayer" against President Vladimir Putin at Moscow's main cathedral. Band member Yekaterina Samutsevich announced at the opening of the hearing that she had fired her three lawyers over an unspecified disagreement. Ms Samutsevich said she had found another lawyer but had failed to sign a contract. Prosecutors condemned the move as a delaying tactic. Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, 22, Maria Alekhina, 24, and 30-year-old Ms Samutsevich were arrested in March after dancing and high-kicking at Moscow's Christ the Saviour Cathedral as they pleaded with the Virgin Mary to save Russia from Mr Putin, who was elected to a third presidential term two weeks later. They said during their trial in August that they were protesting the Russian Orthodox Church's support for Mr Putin and had not intended to offend religious believers. The Russian Orthodox Church said on Sunday the rockers would deserve mercy if they repented for their February stunt. The move followed a statement by the Russian prime minister Dmitry Medvedev, who said that keeping them in prison any longer would be "unproductive." The calls reflected an apparent desire by both the government and the church to put an end to the case, which has caused international outrage. Pyotr Verzilov, Ms Tolokonnikova's husband, said ahead of Monday's hearing that he doubted the appeal would be successful. We never had hope in the Russian state. Now all we do is mount the public campaign and bring attention to the girls" case," Mr Verzilov told The Associated Press, speaking in English. The band members" imprisonment has come to symbolise intolerance of dissent in Mr Putin's Russia and caused a strong international condemnation. Their cause has been taken up by celebrities and musicians, including Madonna and Paul McCartney, and protests have been held around the world. Even some government loyalists criticised the harsh sentence, voicing concern about the church's interference in secular affairs and a growing repressive streak in the Kremlin's policies. Dozens of supporters gathered outside the court building in solidarity with the group. The group's actions, however, have also fostered irritation among many Russians over what they perceive to be international meddling in their justice system. A group of anti-Pussy Riot demonstrators outside the court carried inflatable female dolls in balaclavas in protest at international organisations bestowing awards on the band.