Prosecution mounts ‘justification of terrorism’ case against theater director Zhenya Berkovich and playwright Svetlana Petriychuk

With the theater director Zhenya Berkovich and the playwright Svetlana Petriychuk currently in custody, the prosecution is mounting a “justification of terrorism” case against the two artists.

The investigators are now seeking a remand court order to extend their pretrial detention. A Moscow court will hold the hearing this afternoon.

Berkovich and Petriychuk were both arrested on Thursday, May 4. The case against them is tied to the production of Petriychuk’s prize-winning play, “Finist the Bright Falcon,” that tells the story of Russian women who marry radicalized Muslim men and move to Syria.