French cyclist freed by Russian court after world record attempt

A Russian court freed a French long-distance cyclist on Thursday after finding him guilty of illegally crossing the country's border with China while trying to break the world record for cycling across the Eurasian landmass.



Sofiane Sehili, a French citizen who describes himself as an "ultra-endurance racer and adventure cyclist", was freed by the court in Russia's Far Eastern district and exempted from paying a 50,000-rouble ($615) fine, a court in Primorye said.



The court said Sehili had admitted his guilt. He was seen standing in a cage in the courtroom wearing his cycling shoes.



"Sofiane Sehili was released from custody in the courtroom," the court said.



"The physical evidence in the case: a foreign passport, a copy of an electronic visa, an e-book, two mobile phones, a video camera, a navigator and a bicycle have been returned to their rightful owner," it said.



Sehili's posts on social media showed that he was cycling from China to Russia in early September. He did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Russian media reported that Sehili was detained in the Far Eastern district of Primorye in early September and was accused of crossing the border illegally.