Alexander Lebedev trial descends into farce Two weak punches thrown by Mr Lebedev, 53, were the basis for the entire prosecution, but the victim, Sergei Polonsky, performed a volte-face and appealed for his assailant's release in a message posted on his Facebook account. The prosecutor also advised that Mr Lebedev be sentenced to a year and nine months of probation, obliging him to report regularly to police and avoid "mass events" rather than being sent to jail. Speaking after the hearing, Mr Lebedev said: "It doesn't look like it will be a prison sentence now. This is practically a withdrawal of the prosecution. The judge has the right to issue a more severe sentence than the prosecutor recommends but it's very rare. The businessman was charged with "hooliganism motivated by political hatred" in September, a year after the incident in which he clashed with Mr Polonsky on a TV show. A team of detectives from Russia's Investigative Committee was assigned to the case, prompting Mr Lebedev to claim the prosecution was being used as revenge for his criticism of corrupt state officials and businessmen. Mr Polonsky has not responded to a Daily Telegraph request for comment about the trial. Earlier this week, the court heard character references in Mr Lebedev's support from his celebrity friends, including Keira Knightley, Sting, Hugh Grant, Stephen Fry and Sir Elton John. Judge Bakhvalov said he would announce his verdict and sentencing on Tuesday.