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. |
China, UN coDeputies urged to help advance modernizationEU approves artificial intelligence lawGlobal South main force behind reforming international order, Wang saysChina calls for highStrides made toward more global diversityWaters of South China Sea should be kept calm, Wang Yi saysChina advocates for equal and orderly multiBreakthrough laryngeal allotransplantation offers hope to patients in ChinaXi congratulates Zardari on Pakistan presidency win