Russian journalist Ilya Azar released after outcry

A Russian journalist arrested for picketing was released on Sunday after series of protesters for his release in Moscow.

Prominent Russian journalist Ilya Azar was sentenced to 15 days in jail last week for holding a one-man protest amid the lockdown.

His arrest elicited outrage among journalists and opposition activists.

About 77 people were detained in Moscow and Saint-Petersburg for picketing the police headquarters since Azar's arrest.

On Friday the Moscow City Court shortened his sentence to 10 days but ruled out changing the regulation that states one-person pickets have to be agreed with Moscow's officials.

Azar plans to appeal the decision in cassation court.

He insists that Russian Constitution gives the right to the citizens to hold one-person pickets without any authorization.

Moscow has banned "mass public events" to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

On Sunday Russia registered 8,984 new cases of coronavirus bringing nation's totals to 467,673 infections with 5,859 deaths.