On Thursday a Moscow court was asked to temporarily free an Uzbek migrant accused of attacking a 12-year-old boy, because of sudden change in the case's circumstances.

      Thirty-five-year-old street sweeper Bakhrom Khurramov was arrested in southwestern Moscow earlier this week on suspicion of attacking 12-year-old Artyom Khoteyev on January 6 with a broken shovel handle and leaving the boy with a concussion and broken jaw. Artyom's friends told the police they had allegedly threw a snowball at Hurramov, which caused his aggression.

      After Khurramov’s arrest, however, residents of the neighborhood in which he works penned a joint letter in support of the street sweeper, claiming the children provoked the conflict. In the letter, carried by various Russian media, residents also praised Khurramov's character and work ethic.

      During the investigation many witnesses said Artyom and his friends reguarly exhibited crude and aggressive behavior and sometimes had fun on migrant workers. Police also started invesitgation over a video uncovered online that appears to show Khoteyev physically attacking another boy

      Police have asked that Khurramov be released on condition that he does not flee while police continue the investigation.

      This case is especially interesting, as it challenges the common notions of Russian disdain toward migrant workers from poor former Soviet republics.