Translated material
Serebrennikov softened the conditions of house arrest
Judge of the Moscow City Court Natalya Borisova confirmed the decision to send director Kirill Serebrennikov under house arrest, but softened the conditions for his serving. It is reported by "Mediazona".
Now Serebrennikov is allowed daily walks in his Khamovniki district from 18 to 20 hours. Borisova also clarified the right of the accused to date with lawyer Dmitry Kharitonov.
Kharitonov insisted on freeing his client from arrest. However, Borisova took the side of the investigator Pavel Vasilieva, who was supported by the prosecutor Marina Babek. They called the chosen measure of restraint justified.
At the hearing, Kharitonov presented guarantees for Serebrennikov from 39 more cultural and sports figures, including from conductor Vladimir Spivakov, director Alexander Sokurov, actors Alla Demidova, Inna Churikova and Dmitry Kharatyan. In August, before the court on the measure of suppression, 38 people were entrusted for the accused.
Serebrennikov was detained in St. Petersburg on the night of August 22, after other defendants in the case. On the 23rd, the judge of the Basmanny District Court of Moscow Elena Lenskaya sent him under house arrest in Moscow. Under part 4 of Article 159 of the Criminal Code (fraud on an especially large scale), the director threatens up to 10 years in the colony.
According to the plot of the case, in 2011-2014, the Ministry of Culture allocated to Serebrennikov over 214 million rubles for the implementation of the Platform project, launched for the development and popularization of contemporary art. To embody the project, the director formed an autonomous non -profit organization "Seventh Studio".
However, the TFR says, Serebrennikov gave other defendants an indication of overstating data on the quantity and cost of events. Also, the agency claims, the director instructed to ensure the conclusion of the Seventh Studio with firms and private entrepreneurs controlled by him, including one-day companies, and fictitious agreements for the implementation of the Platform project. The funds transferred under these agreements were allegedly cashed and distributed by Serebrennikov between the defendants.
The total amount of theft, which was charged to the director and other accused, is, according to the TFR, at least 68 million rubles.
Serebrennikov does not plead guilty.
On Sunday, the German actor Lars Idinger placed a text in English on his Instagram,which, according to him, was a letter from Serebrennikov , which he handed over to him during his last arrival in Germany and asked to publish in case of his arrest. The author of the text called for "not to succumb to the provocations of some political swindlers who are trying to make money on any story that can be used to discredit the authorities."
“After the initiation of the criminal case, I heard various fabrications regarding myself,” the document said further. “I even received from the President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko a proposal to lead one of the Ukrainian theaters and make a propaganda film with the financial support of the state. I am grateful for such attention to my person, but I want to say that I am not a politician. I am not a director. I do not want me to be used in someone’s dirty dirty interests ".
However, lawyer Kharitonov regarded the published text as a provocation. “There was no letter to Kirill Serebrennikov to Lars Auder,” the lawyer assured. “Cyril did not send him anything and asked for any help. Neither this nor last year.”