Chess king turned Kremlin foe Garry Kasparov was acquitted on Friday of holding an unsanctioned protest, although he still risks jail for allegedly biting a policeman during the Pussy Riot trial. In a surprise verdict, a magistrate acquitted Kasparov, saying his guilt had not been proven by police witnesses, the opposition leader told media outside the court.
Kasparov had been charged under a law on protests that has been tightened under President Vladimir Putin's third term as president, and could have been heavily fined or sentenced to up to 15 days in jail. He called the decision "historic" after the judge refused to accept police evidence that he had been shouting out political slogans. "For the first time the evidence of officers in uniform was not accepted by the court as happens every day in other courts," Kasparov said, thanking journalists for providing video and photo evidence.