MOSCOW (AP) — A Moscow court has ruled to keep a prominent theater and film director who is being investigate for fraud under house arrest.

Kirill Serebrennikov, arguably Russia's best known director, was detained and put under house arrest in August in a criminal case that raised fears of a return to Soviet-style censorship.

Serebrennikov's plays have often been targeted by conservative circles, which dismiss his work as decadent and unpatriotic.

The court ruled Monday to keep Serebrennikov under house arrest at least until late January.

The court earlier rejected the director's plea to let him continue work on the ballet Nureyev which is to premiere at Russia's Bolshoi last month. Tickets for Nureyev went on sale last month and were sold out in a matter of hours.