Prominent Russian theatre director put under house arrest

MOSCOW -- A court in Moscow has put a widely revered Russian theatre director under house arrest on charges of embezzling $1.1 million, which he has denied.

Kirill Serebrennikov, 47, was detained Tuesday in St. Petersburg where he was shooting a movie and put in jail after interrogation.

Serebrennikov has won international acclaim for his productions spanning from drama to opera to movies. He has become famous for mocking official lies, corruption and a growing hard-line streak in Russian society. His detention has been seen widely as part of an ongoing crackdown on dissent.

Moscow's Basmanny Court Wednesday heeded investigators' request to put Serebrennikov under house arrest. He rejected the charges and pleaded to be set free.

Several hundred of his supporters rallied outside, shouting his name and chanting "Freedom!"

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