Prosecutor wants 6-year sentence for Russian director, playwright accused of supporting terrorism

MOSCOW (AP) — Prosecutors are calling for a six-year sentence for a Russian theater director and a playwright who are accused of advocating terrorism in a play and have been behind bars for more than a year. Their lawyers said in a Telegram post that the sentence demand was made Thursday in the trial of Zhenya Berkovich and Svetlana Petriychuk, which comes during a crackdown on dissent in Russia that has reached new heights since Moscow sent troops into Ukraine. Director Berkovich and playwright Petriychuk face the charges for the play “Finist, the Brave Falcon,” about a Russian woman who becomes enamored online, goes to Syria and then faces trial on terrorism charges upon returning to Russia.