Moscow, Aug 9 :  Russia's Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin has termed pop star Madonna an "ex-wh***" over her backing of imprisoned punk rockers Pussy Riot, RIA Novosti reported.

"Every ex-wh*** tends to lecture. Especially during tours and concerts," Rogozin wrote in his Twitter blog.

Madonna wore the group's trademark balaclava and stripped to her bra to reveal the words "Pussy Riot" during a concert in Moscow Tuesday.

"I mean no disrespect to the church or the government, but I think that these three girls -- Masha, Katya, Nadya -- have done something courageous, have paid the price for their act, and I pray for their freedom," the veteran pop diva told the audience.

Prosecutors have asked for three years for the three members of Pussy Riot, who were detained after performing a protest song calling on the Virgin Mary to "drive Putin out" in Moscow's largest cathedral in February.

A 10-day trial ended Wednesday and the verdict will be announced Aug 17.

Madonna is among many cultural figures, both Russian and Western, who have called for Pussy Riot to be freed.

Madonna was also called a "foreign whore" by prominent Russian Orthodox Church theologian, Archdeacon Andrei Kurayev, in 2008 ahead of a concert in Moscow.

Kurayev defended the use of the word by saying it comes from Church Slavonic and is often used in liturgical texts. "The primary meaning of the word is 'to err'," he said.

Madonna, during a concert Thursday in St. Petersburg, has pledged to speak out against a ban on "gay propaganda" imposed by the city.

© IANS