Alexei Navalny, Leader of the Russian Opposition, Released

Alexei Navalny, the leader of the Russian opposition, was released from prison on Sunday, October 22, after 20 days. He, who is the organizer of protests against the Russian president, had previously announced his intention to compete against Vladimir Putin in the 2018 elections. According to AFP, he was released on Sunday morning in a location away from journalists in Moscow. Alexei Navalny posted a picture of himself on Instagram saying, 'Hello. I am free.' He also mentioned that he would join his supporters' rally in Astrakhan on Sunday afternoon, which is authorized by the relevant authorities. He humorously noted that during his imprisonment, he read 20 books, learned a few Kyrgyz words, and drank 80 liters of tea. On Sunday, Navalny's supporters installed a banner near the Kremlin that read, 'It's time to get rid of Putin and put Navalny in his place.' Alexei Navalny, a 41-year-old lawyer, unofficially launched his presidential campaign last December and organized protests against Vladimir Putin across Russia. Earlier this year, he was imprisoned for several weeks on charges of organizing illegal protests against Putin. On October 7, which is Vladimir Putin's birthday, Navalny's supporters held protests that resulted in the arrest of over 270 of them. Alexei Navalny is periodically barred from attending public gatherings, and he and his supporters are occasionally beaten, and their offices are destroyed. The presidential elections in Russia have not yet officially begun, and Vladimir Putin has not yet announced his candidacy for the 2018 elections.