The Court of Appeal commuted the sentence of Berkovich and Petriichuk

The Military Court of Appeal commuted the sentence of director Yevgeniya Berkovich and playwright Svetlana Petriichuk (listed as terrorists and extremists), convicted of justifying terrorism. This was reported to "Izvestia" by a source in the court on Wednesday, December 25.

It is specified that Berkovich's sentence was reduced by five months - to five years and seven months of imprisonment. Petriichuk - by two months - to five years and ten months.

The convicts, speaking in the court of appeal with the last word, asked to acquit them. Their defense lawyers in their speeches asked the same.

On July 8, the Second Western District Military Court sentenced the women to six years in prison. They were found guilty under part 2 of Article 205.2 of the Criminal Code (CC) of the Russian Federation ("Public justification of terrorism using the Internet").

The names of the director and playwright were also put on the list of terrorists and extremists.

The criminal case against the defendants was initiated because of the play, which, according to the investigation, has signs of justification of terrorism. The plot of the play is about women who decided to virtually marry radical Islamists and go to them in Syria. Real negotiations and interrogation protocols of these people were used in the creation of the play. The two women involved do not admit guilt in committing the crime.