Incarcerated since last spring, the two Russian dissidents Zhenya Berkovich and Svetlana Petriychuk will have to remain in prison.
A Russian court on Tuesday extended the pre-trial detention of a director and playwright accused of justifying terrorism, the latest measure in a relentless crackdown on dissent in Russia.
The court ordered the detention of Zhenya Berkovich and Svetlana Petriychuk until March 10. They have been behind bars since May 2023.
Russian authorities claim that a play they staged, “Finist, the brave falcon”justifies terrorism, which in Russia constitutes an offense punishable by up to seven years in prison.
The play depicts Russian women who were pursued after being lured into marriage and life in Syria by representatives of radical Islam.