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Leading musicians have called on Vladimir Putin to ensure a fair hearing for a feminist punk rock band on trial in Moscow.
The three Russians who make up the band Pussy Riot face up to seven years behind bars after staging a performance in a Moscow cathedral against Mr Putin's return as President.
As the Russian leader visits London, stars including Jarvis Cocker, Pete Townshend, Martha Wainwright and Neil Tennant have expressed their concern about the case.
It comes after stringent reporting restrictions were applied to the trial, stopping journalists directly quoting witnesses. Video broadcasts have already been forbidden.
Pussy Riot's Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, 22, Yekaterina Samutsevich, 29, and 24-year-old Maria Alekhina are also complaining about sleep and food deprivation.
Their lawyer said they are being woken at 5am and kept in a tiny room for hours without breakfast before going to court for hearings lasting up to 11 hours each day.
Alekhina collapsed on Wednesday after suffering a steep drop in blood sugar levels.
Opposition groups say the trial is one of a series of moves by Mr Putin to silence the anti-Kremlin movement, which has been behind major protests in recent months.
They also claim that charges of theft against protest leader Alexei Navalny in recent days are politically motivated.
In their open letter to The Times newspaper, the group of musicians said the incident which led to the trial amounted to a "minor breach of the peace".
Requesting the women's release, it said: "We are extremely concerned about the treatment they have received since their arrest and during their trial.
"Dissent is a right in any democracy and it is entirely disproportionate that they face seven years in jail for what we consider a preposterous charge of 'hooliganism motivated by religious hatred'.
"We are especially concerned about recent reports that food is being withheld from them and that they have appeared in court in a cage.
"We believe firmly that it is the role of the artist to make legitimate political protest and fight for freedom of speech. As he visits the United Kingdom this week, we ask President Putin to ensure these three women receive a fair hearing."
At initial hearings in the trial recently, the court ordered that the three women stay in detention until January 2013 - a move condemned by their supporters as a travesty of justice.
The Russian premier is due to have talks with David Cameron as he visits London for the Olympics.
The US has already said it is troubled by the charges against Navalny and Pussy Riot, and the Austrian deputy foreign minister Wolfgang Waldner has described the trial as "completely excessive".
Meanwhile, Mr Putin signed a law on Monday toughening punishment for defamation and another on Tuesday which opponents say could be used to censor the internet.
