MOSCOW, July 11 - RAPSI. The Supreme Court has declined to review the appeal filed by leading public figures in support of the female punks accused of disorderly conduct in the Christ the Savior Cathedral in Moscow: the court said the applicants were not in a position to file such an appeal, the courts press service head Pavel Odintsov reported on Tuesday.

According to Odintsov an appeal of this sort may only be lodged by a party to the proceedings.

The joint appeal was signed by theater, cinema and show stars. They claimed Pussy Riot members must be released from custody, although many of them do not approve of their conduct.

The group of five masked women performed a protest song at the church altar. The video of their performance was posted online and provoked a public outcry.

Group members Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, Maria Alekhina and Yekaterina Samutsevich were arrested. They are accused of hooliganism and face up to seven years in prison.