KIROV, Russia (AP) — A Russian court Friday freed charismatic opposition leader Alexei Navalny from custody less than 24 hours after he was convicted of embezzlement, a release he attributed to protests over a five-year prison sentence seen by supporters as a blatantly political attempt to silence the foe of President Vladimir Putin.Prosecutors had requested that the Moscow mayoral candidate be let go pending appeal so that he could participate in the race in the fall. The move was seen as an attempt to soothe public anger and lend legitimacy to a vote widely expected to be won by a Kremlin-backed incumbent.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://talkingpointsmemo.com/?p=87050