The main opponent of Vladimir Putin has been released from prison after a month and a half of detention. He has been regularly convicted since he started organizing anti-Kremlin protests last year.
Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was released from prison on Sunday after spending about a month and a half in prison following two successive convictions for organizing anti-Kremlin protests. He was released from prison at 3:20 GMT, an AFP journalist said.
The 42-year-old opposition has stepped up detention since he organized major anti-Kremlin and anti-corruption protests last year.
Thousands of protesters on the streets
For example, on August 28, he was sentenced to 30 days in jail for an unauthorized demonstration in January during which he called for boycotting the March 18 presidential election.
The charismatic opponent and anti-corruption blogger then accused the authorities of sending him to prison to prevent him from demonstrating on 9 September against a government plan to reform pensions while local elections were held.
Despite his imprisonment that day, thousands of Russians responded to his call throughout the country and the police made dozens of arrests, sometimes very muscular.
On 24 September, just out of prison, Alexei Navalny was again arrested and sentenced to 20 days in prison for calling for protests against the highly unpopular pension reform.
This reform providing for a 5-year increase in the retirement age in Russia was finally promulgated on October 3 by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Putin's main opponent
Alexei Navalny has become the main figure of the Russian opposition since impressive demonstrations in 2011 and 2012. Several rallies which are among the most important recently organized in Russia took place at his call and his anti-corruption rhetoric finds a particular echo with the young people who follow him on the internet.
Navalny, who was barred from participating in the March presidential election, had already been jailed for a month in June after organizing protests against Vladimir Putin before taking office in May for a fourth term.