MOSCOW (AP) — The leader of a hacker group that targeted prominent Russian officials has been released from prison.
Vladimir Anikeyev, who headed Shaltai-Boltai (Humpty-Dumpty) hacker group, was sentenced to two years in prison a year ago. His lawyer said Monday that Anikeyev was set free in line with a new law that makes one day spent in pre-trial detention equivalent to 1½ days in prison.
Anikyev’s group hacked the accounts of several government officials, including a spokeswoman for Russia’s prime minister.
Anikyev was arrested in November 2016, but his arrest only became known after Russian news outlets reported that two officials of the Federal Security Service’s cybercrime unit had been arrested on treason charges.
Some reports suggested the officials had connections to the hacker group or had tried to control it.