Efremov has served half of his sentence. Can he be released on parole soon

Actor Mikhail Yefremov, convicted of a fatal drunk driving accident, has been eligible to apply for parole for almost a year now. However, during this time, his defense has never confirmed that he has made a request to the court. Without parole, the 61-year-old Efremov, who has health problems, will not be able to go free before 2027. When to wait for the release of the scandalous artist - in the material "Izvestia".

For what was convicted Efremov

- June 8, 2020 Mikhail Efremov drove a car in a state of intoxication and arranged a traffic accident on Smolensk Square in Moscow. The actor drove into the oncoming traffic lane and crashed into a passenger van driven by courier Sergei Zakharov. As a result of the collision, he was seriously injured and died the next day. Efremov himself was not seriously injured. He was detained at the scene and sent for medical examination, which showed the presence of alcohol and drugs in the blood.

- Three months later, the court found Efremov guilty of committing a crime under p. "a", ch. 4, Art. 264 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation ("Violation of traffic rules resulting in the death of a person, in a state of intoxication"). He was sentenced to eight years' imprisonment in a general regime colony (maximum possible punishment - 12 years). After an appeal, the sentence was reduced to 7.5 years. Efremov was also fined 800 thousand rubles and banned from driving for three years.

- The accident itself and the trial after it caused a great public outcry. Efremov was in an inadequate state after the collision and claimed that he had a lot of money for Zakharov's treatment. Blood tests showed that the actor drank about a bottle of vodka before he got behind the wheel. At court hearings, his defense put forward a version that the actor did not drive the car himself, as well as that the accident occurred because of some "energy holes", "thunder clots" and "aerosol clouds". Before sentencing, Efremov recanted such excuses and pleaded guilty.

How and where Efremov is serving his sentence

- In November 2020, Efremov was escorted to a penal colony in the town of Alekseev in the Belgorod region. This institution became famous after soccer players Alexander Kokorin and Pavel Mamaev served their sentences there.

- According to other convicts, Efremov had good relations with cellmates and the colony administration. The actor has taken a job in sewing production and makes zippers for protective suits. He also participates in organizing competitions and reads library books. Efremov participated in the creation of a short film "The Gospel of Fyodor", for which he wrote the script and did the voiceover. The tape won a prize at the FSIN competition.

- Relatives and friends Efremov noted that the actor began to experience health problems - according to them, his lower teeth fell out and began to lose weight. At the same time, he quit smoking and no longer consumes alcohol. In 2024, Efremov's lawyers reported a severe deterioration of health due to chronic lung disease and problems with the cardiovascular system, but the Federal Penitentiary Service denied it.

When Yefremov will be released on parole

- Since March 2024, Efremov has the right to apply for parole, as he has served half of his court-ordered sentence. Before that, he also tried to get out, having filed a petition in January 2023 to replace his sentence with forced labor. However, a month later he himself asked to stop the consideration.

- Although Efremov has been eligible to apply for parole for almost a year now, there have been no official reports that he has taken advantage of this opportunity. In April 2024, it was reported that Yefremov was allegedly denied release due to violation of the regime of stay in the colony, but his lawyers denied the fact of filing the documents. They also denied that Efremov intends to go to the special operation zone - such false reports also appeared in the media.

- In October 2024 the actor's defense confirmed the preparation of materials for parole for health reasons, but separately indicated that he does not plan to hurry with the filing of documents. In this regard, the media speculated that Efremov could be released in December 2024.

- On February 20, the media again reported that Yefremov had applied for parole, having done so in secret from his own lawyers. He allegedly complained about the loss of vision and assured of remorse. This time, the representative of the defense of the actor Yuri Padalko did not confirm, but also did not deny such information, only noting that he was not aware of the possibility of filing documents in a "secret format".

- The convict has the right to apply for parole independently through the management of the correctional institution. The case will be considered by the court at the place of stay of the prisoner. In case of refusal, it is possible to reapply for parole, but not more often than once every six months.