MOSCOW, July 6 (RAPSI, Diana Gutsul) - The Vladimir Regional Court has pardoned Georgy Alburov, an associate of the opposition stalwart Alexei Navalny who was convicted of stealing a painting, the court’s press office told RAPSI on Monday.

The painting, “Bad and Good Man,” belongs to an artist who resides in Vladimir, a city about 200 kilometers east of Moscow. It was on public display when it was stolen by unknown persons, according to investigators.

The painting was found in Navalny’s apartment in the summer of 2014. Navalny refused to testify in this case.

Alburov was charged with theft and placed under restriction notice in September 2014. In November, another associate of Navalny, Nikita Kulachenkov, was charged in this case in absentia.
On April 14, the Oktyabrsky District Court in Vladimir found Alburov guilty of theft of the painting and sentenced him to 240 hours of compulsory community service.

The defendant has pleaded not guilty.

Alexei Navalny is a Russian political and public figure, leader of the Party of Progress. He ran for Moscow mayor and is the author of one of the most popular political blogs that was banned for promoting unauthorized public protests. He has already been given two suspended sentences for embezzlement – five years in the Kirovles case and 3.5 years in the recent Yves Rocher Vostok case.