Alexei Navalny released from custody

On July 19, the Kirov Regional Court released Alexei Navalny, a convicted opposition member and a blogger, a candidate for the position of Mayor of Moscow, on recognizance not to leave the country during the appeal process. On the previous day, actions in support of Alexei Navalny were held in various cities of Russia, including the cities located in the south of the country in Volgograd, Krasnodar, Pyatigorsk, Stavropol and Rostov-on-Don.

Since the verdict of the court who sentenced Navalny to five years in jail has not yet entered into force, the Prosecutor's Office of the Kirov Region considered the restriction measure for the oppositionist in the form of keeping in custody as unadvised, filed a motion to release him on recognizance not to leave the country.

The motion was supported by the defenders of Alexei Navalny. Advocate Olga Mikhailova has stated that the restriction measure in the form of arrest was pronounced unlawfully, since there were no reasons for that.

As a result, the discussion of the issue lasted less than ten minutes, and after the advisement, the Court announced the judgment to release the defendants, the RIA "Novosti" reports.

After the announcement of the judgment, people at the courtroom began to applaud, the "Gazeta.Ru" that led the online reportage from the court session reports.