Press Release, 8.07.2024

Photo: Playwright Svetlana Petriychuk and theatre director Yevgenia Berkovich in court / Photo by Ilya Pitalev, RIA Novosti

On 8 July, the Second Western District Military Court of Moscow sentenced theatre director Yevgenia (Zhenya) Berkovich and playwright Svetlana Petriychuk to six years in a general regime penal colony each in the case of “justifying terrorism”.

It should be noted that a criminal case was opened against the two young women because of the play they staged, “Finist the Bright Falcon”. The play tells the stories of women who met followers of radical Islam on social media and then left for Syria, the authors try to understand why Russian women converted to radical Islam. However, the investigation saw “signs of justification of terrorism” in the production.

This play was written by Petriychuk and staged by Berkovich in 2020. The performance was awarded the most prestigious theatre award in Russia, the Golden Mask. Yabloko leaders comment on the court’s decision.

NIKOLAI RYBAKOV, YABLOKO CHAIRMAN:

I am convinced that the sentence is not imposed for a crime. They are convicted for creativity. For the free expression of their opinion. For not toeing the line. For making people think.

People in power have an idea – they need to fight something (in this case, terrorism) head-on – by means of some old yellowed posters on an information stand near a local utilities administrator office. And if one expresses himself/herself in a different and complicated way (a book, a play) – this is already incomprehensible and, accordingly, bad, vicious and even criminal.

I would like to wish the girls’ accusers – the formal, official ones, and their ideologists – to read more and understand that good cannot be brought with an axe. And also remember that sooner or later they will have to answer for the unlawful persecution. At least to themselves.

I would like to wish to the girls and their families – strength, patience, endurance, health and freedom and not to lose hope that even in such conditions they will be able to prove their innocence in the near future.

BORIS VISHNEVSKY, DEPUTY CHAIRMAN OF YABLOKO:

[The authors were convicted] despite the fact that the accusation was based on a false “expertise”, and despite the fact that almost all the witnesses confirmed that there was no “justification for terrorism” in the performance, which received two “Golden Masks”.

First, the court kept the innocent people in pre-trial detention centre for more than a year, cold-bloodedly extending the “preventive measure”, then the public prosecutor just as cold-bloodedly demanded six years in prison for the innocent people. And here comes the verdict. The Russian authorities invite terrorists from Hamas for a visit, and representatives of the Taliban, banned in Russia, just come to St. Petersburg forums.

What is happening to Berkovich and Petriychuk is not called justice. Because there is no guilt, no law, no justice, and, especially, no humanism (I remind you of the principles of criminal justice). This is called reprisal. Strength and endurance to Zhenya, Svetlana, their family and friends.

MAXIM KRUGLOV, DEPUTY CHAIRMAN OF YABLOKO:

The verdict in the theatre case is a cruel, but, unfortunately, not an exceptional example of the work of the repressive state machine grinding everyone indiscriminately.

The tragedy [act of terror] in the Crocus City Hall, the taking of hostages in the Rostov-on-Don pre-trial detention centre, the murders in Dagestan [when terrorists attacked Orthodox churches and synagogues] – not only did they fail to prevent these crimes. They did not draw proper conclusions from them. And instead of fighting real crimes, our state deprives the freedom and creativity of people of art who are sensitive to the problems of society.

I wish freedom to Svetlana Petriychuk and Yevgenia Berkovich! I wish strength to the relatives and friends of the girls.

ANNA CHEREPANOVA, DEPUTY CHAIRMAN OF YABLOKO:

The court sentenced Yevgenia Berkovich and Svetlana Petriychuk to six years in prison for a play, for creativity, for art. Shocking!

The most severe sentence without a hope of a re-examination of the case. After its announcement, the lawyer made a speech, saying that the girls were absolutely innocent. I hope that Yevgenia and Svetlana will have the strength to survive the dark time, withstand and defeat the evil.

LEV SHLOSBERG, DEPUTY CHAIRMAN OF YABLOKO:

This criminal case destroyed theatre in Russia as a public art of free people and turned it into a servile booth without spiritual content. The Golden Mask, which was turned into dust by this verdict, and the entire Russian theatre with its great sources of conscience and human dignity received six years in prison.

From now on every performance in any theatre in Russia will now be a reminder of “Finist the Bright Falcon” and its unfortunate creators. A reminder of the complete defencelessness of art in the state of lawlessness.

The criminal case against Yevgenia Berkovich and Svetlana Petriychuk will make it into Russian history as one of the most shameful and disgraceful cases, any involvement in which will mean a lifelong loss of reputation.

We still don’t know who needed this case and why. Whether it was stupidity, revenge, jealousy or something else. But first of all, this case is vile, absolutely inhuman and inhumane.

I hope that Yevgenia and Svetlana, their family and friends will have enough strength to survive these dark times, preserve themselves and live to freedom. We all need to live to see justice happen, when an impartial court will establish the extent of responsibility of all those who invented, ordered, organised and executed this case.

ALEXANDER GNEZDILOV, MEMBER OF THE FEDERAL POLITICAL COMMITTEE OF YABLOKO:

Six years for a performance. For a play. For creativity. For poetry. Not surprising. If, exactly according to George Orwell, “war is peace, freedom is slavery, and ignorance is strength”.

If the Taliban, officially recognised as terrorists, are “allies in the fight against terrorism,” then the play, which warns against falling into the snare of jihadists, is, certainly, a justification of terrorism. What to do? Read the texts by Zhenya and Svetlana, do not forget about them, make sure that their names, their voices, their words sound both clearly and loudly, as they deserve.

KIRILL GONCHAROV, DEPUTY CHAIRMAN OF THE MOSCOW BRANCH OF YABLOKO:

This is not just shocking, although quite expected, news, because if a person was arrested on political matters, then with a 99.8% probability, the court will pronounce a guilty verdict.

Neither [the fact the Yevgenia Berkovich has] children, nor the absence of victims, nor moral or physical harm, nothing, but six years in prison, which are often not given even for serious crimes against life and health.

– This is the verdict on our time.

– This is the verdict on our creativity.