RUSSIA: Crowds chant opposition leader Alexe Navalny's name as he arrives in Moscow by train after being unexpectedly released from jail on bail

Record ID: 860901

  • Title: RUSSIA: Crowds chant opposition leader Alexe Navalny's name as he arrives in Moscow by train after being unexpectedly released from jail on bail
  • Date: 20th July 2013
  • Summary: MOSCOW, RUSSIA (JULY 20, 2013) (REUTERS) TRAIN ARRIVING CROWDS ON PLATFORM VARIOUS OF NAVALNY COMING THROUGH CROWD OF APPLAUIDNG SUPPORTERS VARIOUS OF CROWD ON PLATOFRM CHANTING 'NAVALNY!' VARIOUS OF POLICE AND NAVALNY'S SUPPORTERS
  • Embargoed: 4th August 2013 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Russian Federation
  • City:
  • Country: Russia
  • Topics: Crime,General,Politics,People
  • Reuters ID: LVA5KOEGE70TUEZH7RH5JRXV8V76
  • Aspect Ratio:
  • Story Text: Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny arrived in Moscow by train on Saturday (July 20) to be met by crowds of his supporters chanting his name on a railway station platform.
    He arrived from Kirov where an appeals court unexpectedly released him from jail on bail on Friday (July 19).
    Navalny's release was seen as Russia bending to the will of thousands of protesters who denounced his five-year jail sentence as a crude attempt by President Vladimir Putin to silence him.
    Putin's spokesman called the protesters "mobs" and warned that the rallies were illegal.
    In a highly unusual ruling that points to Kremlin uncertainty over how to handle Navalny's case, a judge approved the prosecution request to free him pending his appeal so that he can run in a Moscow mayor election on Sept. 8.
    The anti-corruption blogger will be unable to leave Moscow but hailed the decision, a day after he was convicted of theft, as a victory for people power.
    Experts said it was unprecedented for the prosecution to seek bail on such terms after sentencing.
    Navalny was convicted on Thursday (July 18) of stealing at least 16 million roubles (494,000 USD) from a timber firm when he was advising the Kirov regional governor in 2009.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2013. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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