"Not bad, but not brilliant"

The case of the Seventh Studio was returned to the investigation, but it is too early to rejoice. Why - explains the lawyer

On September 11, the Meshchansky court returned the criminal case of theft in the “Seventh Studio” to the prosecutor’s office following a new examination. The investigation insisted that the studio leaders stole the funds allocated for projects by the state, however, as the examination showed, the “Seventh Studio” spent even more on projects than she received. The defendants of the case, who since April 2019 have been under the subscription about the lower room, and before that, under house arrest, canceled the preventive measure. At the request of Medusa, Irina Porovinova, the lawyer of Sofia Apfelbaum, who is taking place in the case of the accused with Kirill Serebrennikov, Yuri Itin and Alexei Malobrodsky - said what the court decision of the court means today's guidance.

Irina Porutinova

Sofia Apfelbaum lawyer

The court had three options: an accusatory sentence, an acquittal and an investigation. Thank God that is not an accusatory, but an investigation. And what's next? Are we again on the volcano? And what should we wait for? The investigation that has accused us for two years will surrender? We do not dream about this and do not hope - this is from the field of fantasy.

We have long said that there is no specificity in the indictment: who, what and when stolen - no one has ever talked about it. The judge admitted this, but at the same time she did not say anything new - we are talking about this from the very beginning. Could [in this case] make an acquittal. Or the prosecutor’s office could refuse the prosecution, given the results of the examination, where it was analyzed and said that similar projects cost 300 million, that they did not steal anything - but no one will ever do and do this. But the judge did not even mention the examination, no one gave her an assessment, she was simply introduced to the case.

We decided not to give comments, because there is nothing to rejoice at. [The decision made] today is not bad, but not brilliant. But this is definitely better than a conviction. The prosecutor's office will still appeal the court decision, so the work continues. The prosecutor's office will not refuse to charge, the court will not pass an acquittal-all these are some compromises. We will continue to fight.

Recorded Sasha Sulim