Human Rights

Prisoners of Conscience: Evgenia Berkovich and Svetlana Petriychuk

"Finist the Brave Falcon," a Russian play, tells the story of women lured into marriage by ISIS fighters online, by following a protagonist who travels to Syria and faces imprisonment upon her return to Russia after realizing her grave mistake.

Written by Svetlana Petriychuk and directed by Evgenia Berkovich, both prominent figures in Russian theater, the play draws from true stories of women from Russia and former Soviet republics who fell victim to ISIS recruiters. One such victim was Varvara Karaulova, a 19-year-old Russian student who received a four-and-a-half year prison sentence in 2016 for attempting to travel to Syria.

Despite receiving several prestigious awards in Russia since its 2020 premiere, the play led to the arrest of both Berkovich and Petriychuk in May 2023. The authorities accused them of promoting messages sympathetic toward terrorism, charges that both artists vehemently denied. In summer 2024, a Russian court sentenced them to six years in prison for "justifying terrorism."

"I staged the play to prevent terrorism," Berkovich declared during her trial, as reported by The Guardian. Despite having two children, her request for house arrest was denied. In the meantime, authorities placed both artists on a list of suspected terrorists and restricted their access to funds to 10,000 rubles (around 94 euros) per month, according to Human Rights Watch.

Many believe the detention of these two artists is politically motivated and related to their anti-war stance. Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Berkovich staged a protest and wrote poems condemning the war. She was jailed for almost two weeks. 

Exiled Russian director Kirill Serebrennikov also spoke in their defense during the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, saying: "They did absolutely nothing wrong, they just put on a show and they have already been in prison for a year."

Their case exemplifies a broader crackdown on dissent since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The Kremlin has intensified pressure on war critics, including human rights advocates, journalists, and artists. Many have fled the country fearing for their safety, while those who remained and spoke against the war faced professional consequences, including dismissal from state-owned theaters and performance bans.

The trial of these two women has drawn international attention, with human rights organizations denouncing their prosecution as politically motivated and demanding their immediate release.

Support for these artists has come from prominent figures in the cultural sphere. Nobel Prize-winning journalist Dmitry Muratov initiated a petition that garnered tens of thousands of signatures. It reads: “We are against the lies of the prosecution: the work of director Evgenia Berkovich and playwright Svetlana Petriychuk does not contain even a hint of justifying terrorism; both the play “Finist, the Brave Falcon” and its stage production clearly carry an anti-terrorism message.”

Exiled Russian director Kirill Serebrennikov also spoke in their defense during the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, saying: "They did absolutely nothing wrong, they just put on a show and they have already been in prison for a year."

Their case exemplifies a broader crackdown on dissent since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The Kremlin has intensified pressure on war critics, including human rights advocates, journalists, and artists. Many have fled the country fearing for their safety, while those who remained and spoke against the war faced professional consequences, including dismissal from state-owned theaters and performance bans.

Prisoners of Conscience

Prisoners of Conscience from East and Southeast Europe

We feature select few prisoners of conscience out of the many in East and Southeast Europe. One political prisoner is one too many. 

Find out who the other political prisoners are #PrisonersofConscience  #FreeThemAll and in the special Focus on our website.