TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — A Russian court on Monday opened the trial of a theater director and a playwright accused of advocating terrorism in a play, the latest step in an unrelenting crackdown on dissent in Russia that has reached new heights since Moscow sent troops into Ukraine.
Zhenya Berkovich, a prominent independent theater director, and playwright Svetlana Petriychuk have been jailed for over a year. Authorities claim their play “Finist, the Brave Falcon” justifies terrorism, which is a criminal offense in Russia punishable by up to seven years in prison. Berkovich and Petriychuk have both repeatedly rejected the accusations against them.
Berkovich told the court on Monday that she staged the play in order to prevent terrorism, and Petriychuk echoed her sentiment, saying that she wrote it in order to prevent events like those depicted in the play.
Strictly star Giovanni Pernice's former partner Rose Ayling
IAEA chief calls for "maximum restraint" over Zaporizhzhia attacks
Commentary: Chinese consumer market full of opportunities for global brands
Everybody may love Raymond, but Ray Romano loves Peter Boyle
Japan hosts G7 foreign ministers' meeting amid protests
European stocks drop as ECB hikes rates
Feature: Race against time to find survivors at epicenter of Türkiye's massive earthquakes
Target to lower prices on basic goods in response to inflation