A Moscow court has denied the release of theatre director Yevgeniya Berkovich and playwright Svetlana Petriychuk, who were detained for their award-winning play “Finist, the Brave Falcon.”

The play revolves around the story of Russian women recruited online to marry radical Islamists in Syria.

Berkovich and Petriychuk are accused of “justifying terrorism” and face potential imprisonment of up to seven years.

The court’s decision to keep them in pre-trial detention until July has sparked solidarity among their supporters, some of whom attended the court proceedings.

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Berkovich, a mother to two adopted teenage daughters, pleaded for her release, expressing concern for her children’s well-being.

She emphasized that the play had received funding from the culture ministry, countering allegations of promoting terrorism.

Berkovich’s lawyer argued that the case was infringing on artistic freedom, drawing a parallel with renowned author Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s work.

Kirill Serebrennikov, one of Russia’s prominent directors and Berkovich’s mentor, had previously left the country following political tensions with Ukraine.