A close aide of Russian opposition figure Aleksei Navalny was released from a Moscow jail on June 18, a day after a Moscow court cut by half the 15-day jail term handed down against him.
The early release of Leonid Volkov, who was arrested last week for organizing a demonstration against an increase in the retirement age, is the latest in a series of apparent concessions by the state to appease disgruntled segments of Russia's population.
The Moscow City Court did not give a reason for reducing Volkov’s jail term.
Volkov was sentenced to 15 days in prison on June 10 just hours after he completed a 20-day jail term for live-streaming an unsanctioned Moscow rally in September 2018.
The 38-year old is a project manager at Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation, which investigates alleged corruption among government officials and those close to President Vladimir Putin.
A court in Chechnya last week granted an early release to rights activist Oyub Titiyev, who was sentenced to four years in prison in March on drug charges he denies.
A day later, Moscow authorities closed the case against journalist Ivan Golunov, who was under house arrest on drug charges, following widespread protests.
A St. Petersburg court on June 17 downgraded extortion charges against Kaliningrad newspaper editor Ivan Rudnikov, allowing him to be released on June 17.