Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was released from jail on Friday after spending 25 days behind bars for organizing mass anti-corruption protests, his press secretary said on Twitter.
Navalny, who plans to run for president next year, was handed the sentence for organizing nationwide demonstrations on June 12, during which thousands of Russians took to the streets in anti-Kremlin protests.
His release comes on the heels of raids by law enforcement on his campaign headquarters in several Russian cities, including Novosibirsk, Oryol and, late last night, Cheboksary.
Translation: Today, Navalny was transported to OVD TsAO and released there. You can no longer wait for him next to the Simpheropolsky [detention center].
One of Navalny’s volunteers reportedly suffered a concussion and was hospitalized on Thursday morning following an altercation with police at the team’s Moscow headquarters.
Despite the apparent crackdown from the authorities, Navalny’s supporters have announced plans to distribute around 5 million copies of a pre-election newspaper on Sunday.
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