A man convicted for fighting with riot police at a rally in support of Navalny has been released from a penal colony

Said-Mukhamad Dzhumaev, convicted in the ‘Palace Case,’ was released today from a penal colony in the Tambov region, reports RusNews.

He was met by his relatives. After his release, Dzhumaev thanked everyone who had sent him letters: ‘Thank you to everyone who supported me and wrote to me! All of this helped me! .’

On 23 January 2021, while a student at Moscow State University, Dzhumaev came to Pushkinskaya Square for a rally in support of politician Alexei Navalny. Soon after, a video was widely circulated showing Dzhumaev fighting off several riot police officers in full gear and armed with batons during the dispersal of protesters. A few days after the rally, he was detained.

In August 2021, a court sentenced Dzhumaev to five years in a general regime colony on charges of violence against government representatives (part 1, article 318 of the Criminal Code). The officers who were recognised as victims told the court they had no complaints against the student.

At first, Dzhumaev served his sentence in Correctional Colony No. 2 in the Vladimir region. While there, he was placed in a disciplinary isolator (SHIZO) for minor violations. He was later transferred to Correctional Colony No. 3 in the Tambov region. In this colony, he was placed in a disciplinary isolator at least twice, then moved to harsher detention conditions, and in March 2024 he was sent to a single-cell-type facility.