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. |
Woodgrove shopping centre, Melton: Families flee macheteTrump says New York judge won’t let him attend son’s graduation, no ruling has been madeWorld is not doing enough to protect coral reefs, UN envoy saysBusiness boom: Record numbers of people are starting up new small businessesHome values rising in Detroit, especially for Black homeowners, study showsSouthern governors tell autoworkers that voting for a union will put their jobs in jeopardyMoment two bears grapple with each other in remarkable scrap captured on camera in national parkDr. Martens stock plunges after dour US revenue outlookIt hasn't taken Jude Bellingham long to realize how big a problem racism is in Spanish soccerGeorgia prosecutors renew challenge of a law they say undermines their authority