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Moscow court keeps top theater director under house arrest

Posted September 04, 2017 7:00 am

The Associated Press

MOSCOW (AP) - A Moscow court has ruled to keep under house arrest Kirill Serebrennikov, arguably Russia's most revered contemporary theater and film director.

Serebrennikov was detained and put under house arrest last week. Investigators are accusing him of scheming to embezzle about $1.1 million in government funds allocated for one of his productions and the projects he championed between 2011 and 2014. Serebrennikov dismissed the accusations as "absurd and impossible."

The Moscow City Court on Monday turned down his appeal against a ruling last week to put him under house arrest, but agreed to allow him a two-hour walk outside the house each day.

The arrest of Russia's top director sent shockwaves through the arts community, raising fears of a Soviet era-like crackdown on culture.

Russia's theater and film director Kirill Serebrennikov, centre, waits for the start of hearings in a court in Moscow, Russia, Monday, Sept. 4, 2017. Serebrennikov is suspected of embezzling 68 million rubles ($1.1 million) of government funds that were earmarked for a production at his theater, the Investigative Committee, which looks into high-profile crimes, said in a statement. (AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin) The Associated Press

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