A Russian appeals court has released Yekaterina Samutsevich, one of the members of Russian punk band Pussy Riot, but upheld the two-year jail sentences handed down to the other two members.

The Russian punk band were arrested earlier in the year for performing a "protest prayer" against Vladimir Putin.

The trio danced and high kicked in Moscow's Christ the Savior Cathedral and asked the Virgin Mary to save Russia from Putin, who was elected to a third presidential term two weeks later.

A Moscow City Court judge said the court was leaving the sentences in place for Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, 22, and Maria Alyokhina, 24.