MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian police detained several activists protesting on Friday against the incarceration of the punk rockers Pussy Riot in a demonstration timed to take place on International Women's Day.

A participant holds a placard during a protest calling for the release of jailed members of the punk group Pussy Riot, in central Moscow March 8, 2013. Placard reads "Free Pussy Riot". REUTERS/Sergei Karpukhin

The street-art collective Voina (War) said on its blog that around 10 people were taken away by the riot police at a small demonstration in support of Maria Alyokhina, 24, and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, 23, the jailed band members.

Moscow police told Reuters that people had been detained, but declined to say how many. A Reuters Television cameraman saw four people led away to police cars.

The protest was designed as a one-person demonstration for which no permit is required. Activists took turns in front of the Federal Penitentiary Service building holding posters demanding freedom for Alyokhina and Tolokonnikova.

All the band members, including the since freed Yekaterina Samutsevich, 30, belonged to Voina.

Russian media reported that the arrests were made when other people started holding up posters.

Voina said that after the detentions the police allowed the one-person demonstration to continue.

Alyokhina and Tolokonnikova are serving two-year sentences after being convicted in August of hooliganism motivated by religious hatred when performing an anti-Kremlin "prayer" early last year at Moscow's main Russian Orthodox cathedral.

Samutsevich was released in October after her lawyer argued that she had not taken part in the performance because she was seized by guards before she could start playing her guitar.

Alyokhina has been refused early release and Tolokonnikova has just requested one, Russian media reported. When asked on Thursday whether the two should be paroled, President Vladimir Putin declined to comment.

"It's not up to me, but it is a thing of procedures and applicable legislation," Putin said, according to Russian media.

He said he does not remember commenting about the Pussy Riot case before.

"I don't remember, perhaps I commented, but today I don't want to," he said.

In October, Putin called the Pussy Riot sentencing fair. "They wanted this, they got it," he told the NTV television channel in an interview then.

On Friday, another one-person demonstration was organised by mothers, wives, sisters, and female friends of opposition members jailed after the protests on the eve of Putin's inauguration in May. No detentions were reported.

• Firm settles US SEC charges over data breach
• Goldman Sachs unveils checks on conflicts in bid to fix tarnished image
• Air Asia's Tony Fernandes to ‘fire up’ investors
• Maybank bullish on growth, to expand regionally under new leadership
• Khazanah appoints Nor Mohamed deputy chairman
• Lafarge Malayan Cement to finalise next expansion plans by August
• Daibochi expanding exports to S-E Asia and Australia
• TDM to expand plantation and hospital ops
• FBM KLCI declines on selling pressure in key regional markets
• UMW Rig Asset acquires new jack-up drilling rig       
• ECM Libra aims to exit PN17 soon
• RAM reaffirms rating on Tanjung Bin sukuk
• RM705mil vessel job for Perdana Petroleum
• UOA REIT bullish on assets
• China Railway Corp sells US$3.26bil of debt

• Ranger, militant killed in Thai south shootout
• Japan man, 80, scales Everest, sets record
• Philippines vows to defend territory against China
• S. Korean girl killed by suicide jumper
• Ecuador warns satellite could hit rocket remains
• Short-story writer Davis wins Booker International Prize
• Two babies among US tornado victims
• Anti-Islamist protests flare following London attack
• 'British solider' butchered in suspected Islamist attack (Updated)

• BAM must stop rewarding mediocrity or be doomed
• Gritty Indonesia give mighty China a huge scare
• Yong-dae believes luckless run in world meet will end in Guangzhou
• Chin Chai will not take up offer as CNT committee chairman
• BAM secretary: It all depends on Kien Keat and Boon Heong now
• Chong Wei urges team-mates to put Cup exit behind
• Kelly overcomes scare to clinch title in KLGCC
• Time to make amends Garcia wants to meet Woods to defuse racist row
• American Johnson back to defend Colonial crown
• Rain dampens debut of LPGA Bahamas event
• Tianlang adds another US event to schedule
• Malaysia to host 2016 World Table Tennis meet
• Masziyaton lets slip medal chance in Myanmar
• Nicol David sails into quarter-finals of British Open in 35 minutes
• Nor Aliyah smashes 18-year-old 200m record in MSSM meet

• Please wait.

• Actress’ barking pet saves her from attacker in late night incident
• Colleges challenge new conditions set by registrar
• Tian Chua, Haris Ibrahim, Tamrin Ghafar to spend the night in lockup (Update)
• Transport Ministry reveals new FT registration plate to start with W1A
• What comes after WYY?
• In China, food scares put Mao's self-sufficiency goal at risk
• Verdict ends three years of restlessness for family, says Sosilawati's daughter
• All four accused guilty in murder of Sosilawati Lawiya and three others (Update)
• Chromebook to help rural pupils leapfrog into parity with urban peers
• Astro and Maxis to deliver new-age TV service in Klang Valley