In a Russian court on Monday, the trial of a theater director and a playwright accused of advocating terrorism in a play has commenced. The accused, a prominent independent theater director and playwright, have been in jail for over a year. Authorities claim their play 'Finist, the Brave Falcon' justifies terrorism, a criminal offense in Russia punishable by up to seven years in prison. Both defendants have consistently denied the allegations.
The director stated in court that the play was staged to prevent terrorism, while the playwright mentioned that she wrote it to prevent events similar to those depicted in the play. Their lawyers have highlighted that the play was supported by the Russian Culture Ministry and even won the prestigious Golden Mask award. Additionally, the play was well-received when read to inmates of a women's prison in Siberia, with Russia's state penitentiary service praising it on their website.
