On July 18, 2013, the Leninsky District Court of Kirov sentenced Alexei Navalny to five years in a penal colony on fabricated charges in the Kirovles case. That same day, people in Moscow and other cities took to the streets in spontaneous protests. The very next day after the demonstrations, he was unexpectedly released from custody pending appeal and returned to Moscow, where he continued his campaign. The protest showed that people could influence political decisions — and it further inspired Navalny’s supporters to continue the struggle.
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