Russian opposition leader is released from prison

RUSSIAN opposition leader Alexei Navalny has walked free after 30 days in custody for staging an unsanctioned protest, noting with sarcasm that a Moscow jail where he was held has received a massive facelift ahead of the World Cup.

Mr Navalny, President Vladimir Putin’s most visible foe, said the authorities apparently feel “they may need to arrest British fans for drunken rampages and don’t want things to look bad” during the Russia-hosted event.

Contrasting the facility with regular conditions in Russian prisons, which are notoriously miserable, he observed that all cells in the jail where he spent his sentence have been freshly painted and pit latrines were replaced with flushing toilets.

Normally poor rations were replaced with rich menus offering ample choice complete with halal options, alcohol-free beer and various desserts, Mr Navalny said.

On top of that, huge TV sets were put in each cell, an improvised football field was set up in the yard and English-speaking university students were added to the staff. “Without any foreigners in sight, the students feel bored and complain loudly, demanding mass arrests to make acquaintances,” he added.

“Anticipating your ‘I want to be arrested’ comments, I would like to note that the number of available seats is limited, and if you plan violating public order you need to hurry up: after the World Cup is over, the golden carriage will turn back into a pumpkin.”

Mr Navalny called a series of rallies in the Russian capital and other cities on May 5, just before Mr Putin’s inauguration for a new term. Demonstrations under the slogan “He is not our czar” took place throughout the country.

A court in Moscow convicted Mr Navalny on charges of organising an unauthorised rally and resisting police.

The anti-corruption campaigner has served several weeks-long jail terms in the past for organising other protests.

The opposition leader and his lawyers maintain that the arrest and trial were politically motivated and that he had had his rights violated. The EU also condemned the “police brutality and mass arrests”.