Russian Theater Director and Playwright Detained on Terrorism Charges

A prominent theater director and a playwright in Russia have been detained and accused of "justifying terrorism" over a play entitled "Finist, the Brave Falcon," which tells the story of Russian women who faced prosecution after being recruited online to marry radical Islamists in Syria. The charges could carry a sentence of up to seven years in prison. Many in Russia's theater and arts community have fled the country amid a widespread crackdown on dissent at home amid Russia's war in Ukraine.