The opposition's Leonid Razvozzhayev, accused of preparations to organize mass riots, has asked the Moscow City Court to disregard the statement, with which he turned himself in, in hearing his appeal of the arrest.

"I categorically retract my surrender statement," he told the Moscow City Court.

The defense requested to enter upon the record a number of documents, which confirmed that the opposition member had asked for refugee status at the Ukrainian office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, and a statement of State Duma deputy Ilya Ponomaryov who vouched for Razvozzhayev.