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.
Supreme Court declines to hear challenge to Maryland ban on rifles known as assault weapons
Xi Focus: Xi Calls for Striving to Realize Economic Goals in 2023
Small clique politics draws firm opposition
Xi Extends Congratulations to Cambodia's Hun Sen on Election Victory
Georgia Republicans choose Amy Kremer, organizer of pro
6th Future Investment Initiative conference concludes in Saudi Arabia
Global Digital Economy Conference 2022 held in Beijing
(W.E.Talk) The Shanghai Cooperation Organization and “Oriental Wisdom”
Sweden beats France, Britain relegated after losing to Norway at hockey worlds
Xi Inspects SW China's Sichuan
‘The Blue Angels,’ filmed for IMAX, puts viewers in the ‘box’ with the elite flying squad
Comicomment: Who is inciting instability in South China Sea?