Photo of Nikolai Kobliakov escourted by Bulgarian police. Photo by BGNES.

Sofia City Court has released Nikolai Kobliakov, described as an opposition-affiliated Russian businessman, in his own recognizance.

Moscow had issued in 2013 a red notice for Kobliakov over an alleged criminal offense.

On Tuesday the businessman arrived in Sofia flying from French capital Paris and was detained on the passport control checkpoint.

He has a dual Russian-French citizenship and is the co-founder of the human rights organization Russie-Libertes (Free Russia) based in Paris.

The Sofia City Court (SCC) ruled that the charges against Kobliakov do not constitute criminal offenses under Bulgarian law and do not correspond to any of the offenses listed in Bulgaria's Criminal Code, BGNES reports.

SCC noted that there was no risk of Kobliakov absconding, as the latter has provided the court with proof of his Bulgarian residence in the form of a lease contract.

The prosecution can appeal the court's decision before the Sofia Appellate Court.