Russia Has Now Released Opposition Leader Alexei Navalny From Custody
A Russian court on Friday released opposition leader Alexei Navalny from custody less than 24 hours after he was convicted of embezzlement and sentenced to five years in prison.
The release came after a surprise request by prosecutors, who said that because Navalny is a candidate in this fall’s Moscow mayoral race keeping him in custody would deny him his right to seek election.
The release, under the condition that he not travel outside Moscow, will extend until appeals of his conviction are completed.
After the Friday decision, a smiling Navalny emerged from the caged-off defendants’ section of the courtroom and thanked supporters who held protest rallies on Thursday after his conviction.
CBS News Moscow bureau chief Svetlana Berdnikova reported that about 3,000 protesters rallied in the center of the Russian capital, near the Kremlin, until 4 a.m. local time, demanding Navalny’s release. Police said 209 people were detained during the rallies, but all had been released later Friday morning. Smaller rallies took place in several other Russian cities.