[JURIST] Russian opposition leader Garry Kasparov [personal website, in Russian] was released from jail Thursday after serving five days in custody for organizing an unsanctioned protest [JURIST report] against Russian President Vladimir Putin [official website] and resisting arrest. The former chess champion and head of the liberal United Civil Front [party website, in Russian] had challenged his arrest as illegal, but his appeal was denied [JURIST report] earlier this week.

In April, Kasparov accused police of brutality after being arrested [JURIST reports] at a similar rally. Kasparov and fellow opposition leader former Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov [BBC profile] have strongly criticized Putin and his allies in the run-up to December parliamentary elections and the March 2008 presidential election. Kasparov has accused Putin of instituting a police state and creating a puppet judiciary [JURIST report] to persecute opposition leaders. RIA Novosti has more.