The trial of ACF (Anti-Corruption Foundation) staff member Georgy Alburov began today in the city of Vladimir in the “poster theft case.”
Vladimir’s justice system has prepared thoroughly. The judge is a former investigator. The prosecution in court will be led by the city’s deputy prosecutor!
To keep the poster’s author — a local street cleaner named Sotov — from saying too much (he had previously given several interviews saying that no one had stolen anything from him and that he had no complaints against anyone), they hired him a lawyer who speaks for him. Or rather, “speaks” — by agreeing with the prosecution on everything.
Meanwhile, a new art exhibition was held on that very fence by Vladimir railway station. Since the Investigative Committee wrote in the indictment that a “canvas was stolen from an exhibition in the city center,” we figured we could display similar “canvases” at the same “exhibition.”
For some reason, this time the “exhibition” of “canvases” really displeased the police. The police showed up with a dog. Since there were no violations and nothing to pick on, the head of the local police department simply started grabbing the “canvases” and handing them out to passersby.
I’m not even sure how to characterize this from a legal point of view. The open seizure of the “canvases” and their transfer to third parties. That would make it robbery. Will the Investigative Committee open a criminal case?
Today, Zhora (a familiar form of Georgy) has a preliminary hearing in the case, and it is being held behind closed doors. But the next one — the date will be announced today — will be open to the public. Come, bring your paintings. Let’s turn the fence at Vladimir railway station into a mecca of contemporary art.
Update: the hearing has been scheduled for March 26. Come.