Moscow Court Releases Jailed Pro-Ukraine Stunt Performer
MOSCOW -- A Moscow court on December 17 released a Russian man who was jailed after taking part in a stunt in the Russian capital as part of a pro-Ukraine demonstration.
The Moscow City Court reduced Vladimir Podrezov's 27-month jail sentence to 34 months of "freedom limitation," which is similar to a suspended sentence with parole limitations.
Podrezov and four other Russians, including two women, went on trial in August after taking part in a stunt in which a Soviet red star atop a Stalin-era skyscraper was painted yellow and blue -- the colors of the Ukrainian flag.
Four defendants were accused of drawing attention to the painted star and a Ukrainian flag hoisted from it by parachuting from the 176-meter-high building.
They were acquitted in August.
A sixth suspect sought in the case, Ukrainian stuntman Pavlo Ushyvets, escaped to Ukraine.