Star Moscow theater director Serebrennikov walks free with suspended sentence after being found guilty of embezzlement
On a dramatic day, award-winning Russian dramatist Kirill Serebrennikov was on Friday afternoon handed a three-year suspended sentence and an 800,000-ruble ($11,400) fine, hours after being found guilty of fraud.
The final judgment ends a saga that began in 2017, when the artist was first arrested on suspicion of stealing from funds allocated by the government.
On Monday, prosecutors asked the court to hand the director a six-year jail term. They also requested that the three other defendants – producer Alexey Malobrodsky, theater director and a former employee of the Ministry of Culture Sofia Apfelbaum, and studio general director Yuri Itin – receive time in prison. All four will now walk free. In Russia, it is rare for a judge’s sentencing to be so radically divergent from the request of prosecutors.
Speaking outside the courthouse, Serebrennikov thanked his assembled supporters for backing him in the case. Many of his followers believe that his prosecution was politically motivated, inspired by the anti-establishment themes of his art and his attendance at Moscow protests.
“Firstly, I thank you so much for your support, for believing in our innocence, for understanding what is happening,” he said. “Everyone who is here is very important and valuable... you have to fight for the truth.”
Сейчас у Мещанского суда. pic.twitter.com/Wk1SyczNLY
— Тот самый Мартин (@martin_camera) June 26, 2020
Moscow's Meshchansky Court found that Serebrennikov had been the ringleader of a criminal enterprise conducted with his colleagues from the company Seventh Studio. According to the verdict, they had stolen 129 million rubles ($1.8 million) of government funds allocated for implementing the ‘Platform’ theater project.
Also on rt.com Revered Russian director detained, charged in $1.15mn embezzlement caseAccording to investigators, they appropriated funds through fictitious agreements and overestimated costs. Serebrennikov, along with his three co-accused, all deny any guilt.
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