Three prominent opposition and human rights activists, who spent more than 12 hours in custody after being detained on Sunday, were allowed to leave on Monday, the Ekho Moskvy radio station reported.
Two leaders of the opposition Solidarity movement Boris Nemtsov and Mikhail Schneider, along with prominent human rights activist Lev Ponomarev, were detained in downtown Moscow on Sunday for "attempts to stage an unsanctioned march."
They were taken to a police department and later to a magistrate's court, where they were held until 3.00 a.m. Moscow time [23:00 GMT].
An ambulance was called to the court building to render medical aid to Ponomarev, who complained during the hearings that he did no feel well .
The detainees reject all charges and say they were just walking down the street, carrying a Russian flag to mark Russia's National Flag Day.
The court is to continue hearings on Tuesday or Wednesday.
The opposition gathered for an authorized rally at the intersection of Novy Arbat Street and the Garden Ring on Sunday to mark National Flag Day. Nemtsov and Schneider are believed to call on those gathered to stage an unsanctioned march in Novinsky Boulevard.
Ponomarev was detained several hours later. The human rights activists claims he was "just passing by."
MOSCOW, August 23 (RIA Novosti)
