Court arrests theater director Berkovich in justifying terrorism case

MOSCOW, May 5 – RIA Novosti. Moscow Zamoskvoretsky Court arrested theater director Yevgenia Berkovich on charges of justifying terrorism, an RIA Novosti correspondent reported.

According to the results of a multi-page “demolition review”, a criminal case was opened for posting on YouTube a reading of the game Finist the Clear Sokol, which contains signs of legitimizing terrorism, the ideology of the terrorist organization “Islamic State”. ” * Banned in Russia and jihadism. Berkovich pleaded not guilty.

The defense of the theater director is appealing the court decision. She asked him to reject the petition or choose some form of restraint in the form of bail, house arrest, or personal guarantee. The investigator explained that, freed, Berkovich could escape justice, “continue to engage in criminal activities, and create false evidence of his innocence.”

Various actors, journalists and other well-known people became guarantors for Berkovich. The defense noted that the performance of “Finist the Clear Sokol” was played, among other things, thanks to a grant from the Ministry of Culture, received the Golden Mask and other awards, and, according to lawyers, understood the meaning of the theater community. openly – “for condemning ties to radical Islam and crimes in this area”.

Along with the director, the playwright Svetlana Petriychuk was also detained. They were charged under the article “Legitimizing terrorism using the Internet”, which imposes a prison sentence of five to seven years. Later, the court also sent Petriychuk to a pre-trial detention center for two months.

Berkovich staged the play “Finist Yasny Sokol”, adapted from Petriychuk’s play, in Moscow. It describes women who decided to marry adherents of radical Islam virtually and live with them in Syria.

* A terrorist organization banned in Russia.