Russian theater director and playwright go on trial over a play authorities say justifies terrorism
Time:2024-05-21 06:54:59 Source:entertainmentViews(143)
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.
You may also like
- Shohei Ohtani's first walk
- Foreigner hotel stays in Japan jump 68% to record high in March
- Kanye West, 46, and wife Bianca Censori, 29, stop at Denny's for low
- Ancelotti faces goalkeeper dilemma ahead of CL final
- The fightback begins: Boss of London's Queen Mary University tells pro
- China take men's, women's doubles titles at WTT Saudi Smash
- Lod, Jeong rally Minnesota United to 2
- Wu gets double as Shanghai outclass Changchun
- Russian theater director and playwright go on trial over a play authorities say justifies terrorism