Russian Minister Imprisoned for Oil-Related Bribery Released

Russian Minister Imprisoned for Oil-Related Bribery Released
Former Russian Economic Development Minister Alexei Ulyukayev is escorted to a court in Moscow on Dec. 7, 2017. Ivan Sekretarev/AP Photo
The Associated Press
Updated:

The highest ranking Russian official to go to prison in nearly two decades was released Thursday after serving more than half of an eight-year sentence for a bribery conviction.

Former Economic Development Minister Alexei Ulyukayev filed a petition for early release after serving more than five years. A court in the Tver region, some 140 kilometers (87 miles) northwest of Moscow, granted him parole last month.