Supporters greeted Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny today in Moscow after his early release from jail on bail.
The Russian opposition leader left Kirov on a train hours after an appeals court unexpectedly released him from jail on bail.
Mr Navalny's release was seen as Russia bending to the will of thousands of protesters who denounced his five-year jail sentence as a crude attempt by President Vladimir Putin to silence him.
Mr Putin's spokesman called the protesters "mobs" and warned that the rallies were illegal.
A judge approved the prosecution request to free him pending his appeal so that he can run in a Moscow mayor election on 8 September.
The anti-corruption blogger will be unable to leave Moscow but hailed the decision, a day after he was convicted of theft, as a victory for people power.
Experts said it was unprecedented for the prosecution to seek bail on such terms after sentencing.
Mr Navalny was convicted last Thursday of stealing money from a timber firm when he was advising the Kirov regional governor in 2009.
A sharp critic of Mr Putin and the United Russia ruling party, Mr Navalny and his supporters have called his conviction and trial politically motivated.
Mr Navalny, who is a candidate for mayor of Moscow, was released while he appeals the case at the request of state prosecutors to allow him to participate in the September elections.
The United States and European Union voiced concern over Mr Navalny's conviction, saying it raised questions about the rule of law and Russia's treatment of Putin's opponents.
While it makes it easier for him to stay in the mayoral race, there is no indication Navalny's release from custody will affect the court's ruling on his planned appeal.
