Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has been released after spending 30 days in jail.
Navalny was sentenced late July to 30 days in prison for asking the public to join an unsanctioned protest against the government’s decision to prohibit opposition candidates from running for election in the 45-seat Moscow City Duma Parliament, which is controlled by the Pro-Putin United Russia party.
Thousands of supporters who have demanded Navalny and others like him to be added to the ballots for the Sept. 8 election have been rounded up and arrested while other opposition politicians have been detained, subjected to their homes being searched and harassed.
He said on Friday that the behavior of the government is proof it’s afraid of their movement and that “there is no support for this regime.”
Navalny’s release comes after the head of the jail attempted to have his release delayed for the time he spent in hospital during his detention, a request that was rejected by the court.