Estimated read time: Less than a minute
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
MOSCOW (AP) — A Russian actor sentenced to 3-1/2 years in prison for allegedly assaulting a police officer has been released from custody following a massive outcry.
Pavel Ustinov, 24, was charged on Sept. 16 with assaulting a police officer at an opposition rally in July. He pleaded not guilty, claiming he was simply waiting for a friend outside the metro.
Video from the scene showed Ustinov being tackled by police officers as he looked at his phone on the sidelines of the rally. A Moscow court refused to consider these videos as evidence.
The arrest of Ustinov, a little-known actor, was widely seen especially among Russia's creative community as a means of intimidating the opposition.
He was released Friday pending an appeal on Sept. 26. He cannot leave Moscow during his bail.
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
