Marc Van Roosmalen Freed on Appeal

Biologist Marc Van Roosmalen (well-known for his new species discoveries) has been released by a Brazilian judge, pending appeal for trumped-up charges.

From the Washington Post:

"On Tuesday, Roosmalen was ordered released pending an appeal, according to a court official who spoke on condition of anonymity in accordance with court policy. Roosmalen's lawyer confirmed the ruling.
"Over the past decade, Roosmalen, a naturalized Brazilian, has described seven new monkey species in the Amazon and has garnered a number of international awards for his research and defense of the Amazon. In 2000, Time magazine named him one of its 'Heroes for the Planet.'
"He tried to auction off the rights to name the new species over the Internet, with the proceeds going to help preserve their habitats. But the court ruled that since he was working for a government agency when the monkeys were found, only federal officials were entitled to decide on the names."