A Moscow court has sentenced independent theater director Zhenya Berkovich and playwright Svetlana Petriychuk to six years in prison for “justifying” terrorism in their play, “Finist, the Brave Falcon.” The play, which was staged in 2020, was accused of supporting “Islamic State” terrorism in Syria. Despite their defense that the play aimed to prevent terrorism, the pair were convicted after spending a year in pre-trial detention. The charges came more than four years after Russian authorities first had the opportunity to review the play. Berkovich, who has also faced detention for protesting the Ukraine invasion, refused to leave Russia despite the crackdown on dissent since the conflict. The case has sparked outrage in literary and opposition circles, with over 16,000 people signing an open letter in support of the play’s anti-terrorist message. Despite winning awards and praise for their work, Berkovich and Petriychuk now face imprisonment, adding to the growing list of artists targeted by Russian authorities in recent times.
Russia imprisons director, playwright for ‘justifying’ terrorism
