Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny has refused to comply with the requirements of his house arrest and removed his electronic tag by cutting it in half.

      Alexey Navalny, who had been given a 3,5-year suspended sentence over alleged embezzlement from a cosmetics company, broke his electronic bracelet in violation of the terms of his house arrest. Navalny said that he wasn't obliged to follow the these terms after the adjudgement of the sentence. However, the regulations of Navalny's house arrest were not specified yet and officially he still has to stay at home with a electronic tag on his leg.

      Navalny posted a photograph of his broken electronic tag on Twitter and added that he had no intention of leaving his house.

      Meanwhile, law enforcement sources told the press that the Federal Penitentiary Service would notify the Moscow court if Navalny violated the terms of his house arrest.

      On December 30, the human rights activist was given a suspended prison sentence of three-and-a-half years in a high-profile fraud case. His brother Oleg Navalny was given a three-and-a-half custodial sentence in the same trial. Alexey has called the verdict politically motivated and illegitimate.