Unexpected

Putin Critic Alexei Navalny Released After Sentence

On Russian court’s surprise order.

Russian dissident Alexei Navalny was released Friday when an appeals court ruled that his conviction for embezzlement denied him his right to participate in the Moscow mayoral campaign, for which he’s a candidate. Navalny, a popular corruption blogger and critic of Vladimir Putin’s ruling party, was sentenced to five years in a penal colony on Thursday after he was found guilty of the dubious charges, drawing criticism from the U.S. and Europe. He will now be free to move around in Moscow while further appeals are in the works. Navalny became popular during the 2011 protests against Putin, and is known for revealing corruption in state-run companies.