A Russian court has turned down a request from jailed Pussy Riot star Maria Alekhina to have her sentence deferred until her young son becomes a teenager.

Alekhina and her bandmate Nadezhda Tolokonnikova were ordered to serve two years behind bars on hooliganism charges in August after performing a protest song against President Vladimir Putin in a Moscow cathedral last February.

The incarcerated rocker and activist recently filed an appeal, asking officials to let her carry out the remainder of her sentence when her five-year-old Filipp turns 14, but on Wednesday Judge Galina Yefremova rejected her plea for leniency due to claims the new mom was an unco-operative inmate and often violated prison rules.

The pair's case has captured international attention, with numerous celebrities, including Sir Paul McCartney and Madonna, calling for their freedom. Meanwhile, both rockers have said they plan to file a joint appeal of their convictions with the European Court of Human Rights. (MC/WNWA/KL)