MOSCOW, October 11 (Itar-Tass) — The tragic death of a Moscow school director from a heart attack in remand ward caused a public stir in Russia. The director had been accused of an attempt to take a bribe from parents. Right activists said they would conduct their own investigation into his death.

The "Rossiiskaya Gazeta" reminds that Andrei Kudoyarov, 48, was arrested on corruption charges. He was detained in his office at the elite Moscow school # 1308 on May 20. He had top qualification a 17-year teaching record. Law-enforcers claim that he had taken 240,000 roubles from the parents to enroll their child in the 1st form.

"Any death in prison is a cause for investigation, including public investigation, by public observer commissions," the newspaper cited head of the presidential rights council Mikhail Fedotov as saying, "the president has repeatedly underlined that imprisonment, as a measure, should not to be applied without clear necessity. The law also states that this measure of restraint is not usual, but exceptional. But our investigative bodies and courts keep proving with maniac stubbornness that the defendant should be put behind bars."

The case caused a public stir, but many schoolchildren's parents came out in defense of the director, the newspaper notes. Of course, people are tired of school commissions. But parents of the children that went to Kudoyarov's school, assure it was not the case. The money had been invested in developing the school, and the director had been framed, some of the parents said.

Kudoyarov's lawyers stick to the same position, "the Kommersant" notes. According to lawyer Alexander Manov, all Kudoyarov could have been accused of was "going beyond the framework of financial discipline." He claims that Yevgeny Levin's child had been enrolled in the school, and that the child's father had given the money of his own free will. The money was intended for paying guest workers for bathroom repairs. It is very difficult to pay them officially through accountant's office, so the director asked cash from the parent while explaining to him how the money would be used. The lawyer is confident that a jury would have fully acquitted Andrei Kudoyarov.