MOSCOW, August 17 (RAPSI) – The Presidential Council for Human Rights has hailed a court decision to release the New Greatness (“Novoe Velichie”) movement’s activists Anna Pavlikova and Maria Dubovik, who stand charged with creating an extremist organization, from detention, according to a statement published on the advisory body’s website.  

The Dorogomilovsky District Court of Moscow granted a motion by investigators to release the defendants from jail on Thursday. Pavlikova and Dubovik were placed under house arrest.

On Wednesday, the Supreme Court of Russia ordered the Moscow City Court’s Presidium to review an appeal against controversial detention of Pavlikova. Earlier, the court received complaints from the cabinet of Russia’s Human Rights Commissioner and the defendant’s lawyer.

Nine activists of the movement were arrested in March. Investigators stated that the defendants followed far-right ideas and that their leader claimed that he planned to establish a new order in Russia.

The New Greatness case became a subject of public controversy because the defense has information that the movement itself was organized by a law enforcement officer.

Chairman of the Presidential Council for Human Rights Mikhail Fedotov visited Pavlikova in a detention center and noted that she only recently turned 18 and has several chronic illnesses.