A Russian navy court docket on Monday discovered a playwright and a theater director responsible of “justifying terrorism” and sentenced every to 6 years in jail, in what critics say is the most recent chilling crackdown on free speech since Russia invaded Ukraine. instance.
The 44-year-old playwright Svetlana Petriychuk and the 39-year-old director Yevgenia Berkovich are each well-known figures within the Russian theater world. He has been detained since Might. Along with the six-year sentence, the precise time restrict additionally met the necessities of the Russian theater group.
The play “Finister the Courageous Falcon” written by Ms. Petrichuk and carried out by Ms. Berkovich is customized from the traditional fairy story of the identical title. intertwined with tales of girls being lured on-line by males to affix ISIS. It’s loosely primarily based on the true story of 1000’s of girls recruited by Islamic State terrorists throughout Russia and the previous Soviet Union. The title character returns to Russia, feeling betrayed and let down by the person who lured her there, solely to be jailed as a terrorist.
In keeping with the Russian media “RBK”, prosecutor Ekaterina Denisova insisted that Ms. Petrichuk held “extraordinarily radical Islamic ideology” and shaped a “optimistic angle in direction of ISIS”. views,” whereas Ms. Berkovich held “ideological beliefs related to protection and advocacy.” terrorism”.
Each ladies and their legal professionals have stated they’re harmless and repeatedly insisted throughout the trial that the present had a transparent anti-terrorism message.
“I’ve completely no concept what these phrases should do with me,” Berkovich stated whereas pleading not responsible. “I’ve by no means been concerned in any type of Islam: neither radical nor some other kind. I respect Islam and don’t have anything however condemnation and disgust for terrorists.
In Russia, the place greater than 99% of prison trials end in a conviction, the decision appears a foregone conclusion. The choose sided with prosecutors and the witnesses they referred to as. One witness, an professional from the FSB, the trendy successor to the KGB, argued that as a result of the present was primarily based on fairy tales with glad endings, the present “romanticized the picture of terrorism” ”.
The play premiered in 2020 and went on to win two Golden Masks Awards, the very best honor in Russian theater and an award supported by official our bodies such because the Moscow Mayor’s Workplace and the State Ministry of Tradition.
Instantly following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, legislation enforcement businesses launched a widespread crackdown, successfully criminalizing anti-war sentiment.
Months earlier than the prison case in opposition to Ms Petrichuk and Ms Berkovich started, a pro-Kremlin actor expressed disapproval in a publish on the social community VK.com that the anti-war liberal director’s play could be in his Disgust performs out within the metropolis. He referred to as the present “unabashed sympathy for Ukraine and hatred of the present authorities.”
The present there was canceled and the person, Vladimir Karpuk, ended up turning into one of many prosecution’s star witnesses.
The prison case was condemned by many outstanding Russian intellectuals and performers, together with Nobel Peace Prize winner Dmitry A. Muratov and director Kirill Serey, whom Berkovich studied below Brennikov. The ladies have additionally acquired assist from Amnesty Worldwide, which stated the ladies had been “focused merely for exercising their proper to freedom of expression”, in addition to Human Rights Watch and different rights teams.
The trial on the Second Army Courtroom of the Western District was held behind closed doorways after the testimony of prosecution witnesses concluded. However on Monday evening, dozens of individuals gathered in entrance of the court docket to indicate assist for the ladies, a few of whom had been allowed inside to listen to the decision.
The 2 feminine supporters claimed it was the primary efficient trial of a murals in post-Soviet Russia. Greater than 16,000 folks signed a letter, The marketing campaign was launched by unbiased newspaper Novaya Gazeta final yr after Ms Petrichuk and Ms Berkovich had been detained.
“We’re against the persecution of individuals on unfounded expenses,” the letter reads. “We’re against the ideology that governs the humanities. We’re against the destruction of theater and tradition. We’re against the choice and robbing of these theater individuals who determine to remain within the motherland.
