ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½

Skip to main content

Detention of Russian director and playwright extended for 2 months

Zhenya Berkovich, a prominent independent theater director, left, and Svetlana Petriychuk, a playwright, sit in a cage prior to a hearing in a court in Moscow, Russia, on Friday, June 30, 2023. A Russian court on Friday ordered pretrial detention for a theater director and a playwright facing charges of justifying terrorism, the latest move in a relentless crackdown on dissent in Russia that spiked to unprecedented levels since the start of the war in Ukraine. (AP Photo/Vladimir Kondrashov) Zhenya Berkovich, a prominent independent theater director, left, and Svetlana Petriychuk, a playwright, sit in a cage prior to a hearing in a court in Moscow, Russia, on Friday, June 30, 2023. A Russian court on Friday ordered pretrial detention for a theater director and a playwright facing charges of justifying terrorism, the latest move in a relentless crackdown on dissent in Russia that spiked to unprecedented levels since the start of the war in Ukraine. (AP Photo/Vladimir Kondrashov)
Share
TALLINN, Estonia -

A Russian court on Friday extended the pretrial detention of a theatre director and a playwright facing charges of justifying terrorism, the latest move in a relentless crackdown on dissent in Russia that spiked after the start of the war in Ukraine.

The court ordered Zhenya Berkovich, a prominent independent theatre director, and playwright Svetlana Petriychuk held until Sept. 10; they have been behind bars since early May.

Authorities claim a play they staged, "Finist, the Brave Falcon," justifies terrorism, which is a criminal offence in Russia punishable by up to seven years in prison.

The play depicts Russian women who faced prosecution after being lured into marriage and life in Syria by representatives of radical Islam.

Immediately after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Kremlin unleashed a sweeping campaign of repression, one unparalleled since the Soviet era. It has effectively criminalized any criticism of the war.

Authorities not only have targeted prominent opposition figures who eventually received draconian prison terms, but anyone who spoke out against the invasion, publicly or otherwise.

Pressure mounted on artists who were critical of the war. Actors and directors were fired from state-run theatres, and musicians were blacklisted from performing in the country. Some were labelled as foreign agents, a designation that carries additional government scrutiny and strong negative connotations. Many left Russia.

The Russian Justice Ministry said Friday that Boris Grebenshchikov, considered a founder of Russia's rock music scene, was added to the list of foreign agents. Grebenshchikov, who has lived in the West since 2018, is also reportedly under investigation for discrediting Russia's military.

CTVNews.ca ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½

BREAKING

BREAKING

Three men were injured after a man armed with a knife entered a Montreal-area Islamic cultural centre Friday afternoon.

A 15-year-old boy who was the subject of an emergency alert in New Brunswick has been arrested.

Police have arrested an 18-year-old woman who allegedly stole a Porche and then ran over its owner in an incident that was captured on video.

Since she was a young girl growing up in Vancouver, Ginny Lam says her mom Yat Hei Law made it very clear she favoured her son William, because he was her male heir.

The parents of a teenager who died after allegedly consuming the poisonous products of a Mississauga man are now suing him, as well as several doctors involved in her care.

The search for a missing six-year-old boy in Shamattawa is continuing Friday as RCMP hope recent tips can help lead to a happy conclusion.

Local Spotlight

Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.

They say a dog is a man’s best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.

A growing group of brides and wedding photographers from across the province say they have been taken for tens of thousands of dollars by a Barrie, Ont. wedding photographer.

Paleontologists from the Royal B.C. Museum have uncovered "a trove of extraordinary fossils" high in the mountains of northern B.C., the museum announced Thursday.

The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is celebrating an important milestone in the organization's history: 50 years since the first women joined the force.

It's been a whirlwind of joyful events for a northern Ontario couple who just welcomed a baby into their family and won the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot last month.

A Good Samaritan in New Brunswick has replaced a man's stolen bottle cart so he can continue to collect cans and bottles in his Moncton neighbourhood.

David Krumholtz, known for roles like Bernard the Elf in The Santa Clause and physicist Isidor Rabi in Oppenheimer, has spent the latter part of his summer filming horror flick Altar in Winnipeg. He says Winnipeg is the most movie-savvy town he's ever been in.