A 21-year old Russian blogger who was arrested earlier this month for playing Pokemon Go in church is released. He is placed under house arrest awaiting for trial.
Ruslan Sokolovsky, the young man has been released from prison according to Anime News Network. The 21-year old was arrested for allegedly playing Pokemon in church in the city of Yekaterinburg in Russia's Urals.
Originally, he was supporsed to be in jail until November awaiting for trial. But his attorney filed an appeal against the arrest, and court granted the appeal. He is now placed under house arrest in his attorney's apartment.
The news breakout earlier this month, as reported by Russia Today. The young man has been arrested for two months after posting video on YouTube showing him playing Pokemon Go inside the Church of All Saints. Sokolovsky acknowledged the hunting in local church was successful, based on the number of Pokemon he acquired, but the consequences of his action was unpleasant.
Prior to his arrest, Niantic has already warned the player of its successful augmented reality game to stay alert of the surrounding and warned players not to tresspass while playing. Russian authority also warned that players who went to church to catch Pokemon will be punished under criminal law, based on the violation of freedom to worship. The consequences will be up to three year prison sentence or a fine equal to $7,700.
Sokolovsky disregarded those warnings, and he went into the Russia's famous cathedral - The Church of All Saints to catch Pokemon. In his YouTube video, he was seen throwing Pokéballs at a Poliwag Pokémon, while we can hear the priest praying next to him.
"Who can be offended by you walking with your smartphone at a church?..."he said in his video which has been gained 550,000 viewers in YouTube.
Following his action, Sokolovsky will have to stay in his attorney's apartment pending trial scheduled in November. He will be on trial for insulting the feelings of worshippers and inciting hatred by the local authorities.