Grigory Grabovoi, a self-proclaimed miracle worker who claimed to be able to resurrect children killed in the Beslan school attack, will be freed on parole Friday after serving half of an eight-year sentence for fraud.
A court of the Urals town of Berezniki ordered on Thursday the early release of Grabovoi, 46, for good behavior, Interfax reported.
Prosecutors offered no objections.
Grabovoi, the leader of a cult-like following that he attempted to shape into a political party to run for Russia’s president, was arrested in 2006.
Prosecutors accused him of defrauding people by taking their money in exchange for promising to resurrect their dead relatives. His clients included several mothers of the 180 children who perished in the Beslan hostage drama in 2004.
In July 2008, a Moscow district court convicted Grabovoi of 11 charges of fraud and handed him an 11-year sentence in prison.
The prison sentence was later reduced to eight years by a higher court.
Under the Criminal Code, a convict jailed for fraud can seek parole for good behavior after serving half of his or her sentence.