Six years for the performance

Zhenya Berkovich and Svetlana Petriychuk were sentenced. Reportage

In the Second Western District Military Court, the director was announced to the director Berkovich and the playwright Svetlana Petriychuk, who were accused of justifying terrorism for the play “Finist Yasny Falcon”. Despite the fact that the whole charge is based on denunciation and two anti -scientific examinations, the accused received six years of a general regime colony. Journalists of the publication "Bank" visited the verdict, "Medusa" publishes this report entirely.

There are about 15 people in front of the court, among them the husband of Zhenya Berkovich Nikolai Matveev. From June 13, meetings in the Finist's case are held closed and are not allowed not only to the courtroom, but even to the building. But they still come.

Behind closed doors, the debate continues. Lawyers Svetlana Petriychuk performed at the previous meeting, today the turn of the defenders of Zhenya Berkovich and the accused themselves. To participate in the debate, Berkovich’s lawyer Elena Oreshnikova came up ahead of schedule from the sick leave: at the beginning of the month she was diagnosed with pneumonia.

It is very hot in Moscow, +30. After the process has been closed, the meetings take place in a small hall with non -working air conditioners. Because of this, lawyers have to ask the judge several times a day about the break. During one of them, Oreshnikov, coughing, goes out into the street and wrapped in a silk scarf, and then goes to the meeting again.

There are no canopies and shops on the territory of the court. People crowd in small areas where the shadow falls from the building, and sit right on the ground. From time to time, the bailiff peeps out into the street and swears at those who go to the lawn.

At the sixth hour of the meeting, Ksenia Karpinskaya leaves the court - she also protects Zhenya Berkovich. The lawyer reports that the debate is over, the court is ready to hear the last word of the defendants. Often a whole meeting is allocated for this, but judge Yuri Massin gives the accused to prepare only 20 minutes. Karpinskaya nevertheless looks calm and confidently says: "The girls are ready."

They continue to come to the court - about 40 people have already gathered near the building. These are mainly journalists, familiar to Berkovich and Petriychuk, Moscow theater -goers. Among them is the producer and the former director of Gogol-Center Alexei Malobrodsky. Seven years ago, he was a defendant in another theatrical business - “Seventh Studio” - and his lawyer was also Ksenia Karpinskaya; Malobrodsky then received a suspended sentence.

He says to journalists that the "silence of the theater community" does not surprise him. “This is part of the society,” the producer shrugs his hands. - Why is society silent? You know our laws and law enforcement practice: someone came out with a white piece of paper and received , if not a period, then a large fine. Therefore, they are silent. " Malobrodsky himself emphasizes that the Finist’s case considers “absolute outrages” and “madness from the point of view of common sense”.

Zhenya Berkovich, human rights activist Elena Efros, approaches the court - she specially flew from St. Petersburg to Moscow in the hope that she would be allowed to get to the meeting and see her daughter. Lawyers are trying to negotiate with the bailiff, so that Efros can at least go into the building, but he refuses. “It will be in time,” Efros quoted with a sad grin the answer of the security forces.

At this time, the artist, who painted sketches at meetings in the Finist, approaches the support group of the accused and asks everyone to write a few words of support for her mother Zhenya Berkovich. She offers to support it on a homemade postcard: on a white sheet, the flowers of the host are drawn by hand growing in front of the court building. The flip side of the sheet is quickly filled with wishes.

In the telegram channel of the defenders of Berkovich “Lawyers of the Pro people” there is a message that the defendants began to speak with the last word. In less than 10 minutes, the lawyer Petriychuk Sergey Badamshin announces the verdict: the judge needs only an hour and a half to make a decision.

The defenders still manage to ensure that they would be allowed to enter the court of the defendants to enter the court building. Together with Elena Efros and Nikolai Matveev, sister Svetlana Petriychuk Julia Gorbachuk goes there. There are already about a hundred people in front of the court building, including the former editor -in -chief of Novaya Gazeta Dmitry Muratov and Yabloko chairman Nikolai Rybakov.

“There should be freedom of creativity in my Russia. It is not the case of people's officials to judge for this, ”says Rybakov. - [These people] want to fight against what they are accused of. And if those who accuse them are not able to understand this, then the director is not to blame here. Well, however, we need to read more, watch films, performances more. ”

Lawyers, meanwhile, are trying to agree that the participants in the process are allowed to return to the Great Hall, where more listeners may fit. After an hour and a half, the bailiff peeps out from behind the door, journalists and support group begin to fall asleep with questions whether they will be allowed to announce the sentence.

- And let your relatives go? -asks the bailiff close friend Berkovich, actress Marietta Tsigal-Polishchuk.

“All relatives are already inside,” the bailiff throws and closes the door.

A few minutes later, the other bailiff offers to go to the building to operators and photojournalists who requested accreditation to work in court in advance. At the entrance, the crush, other reporters and support group want to break inside. After half an hour, photojournalists come out, bailiffs allow everyone else to come in.

"Thirty people!" - The bailiff commands, but the verdict falls from fifty. Still, getting into the hall, some faintly waved their hand to the accused or send air kisses. The security forces rudely demands that the listeners stop gesticulating.

Listeners are reminded that it is forbidden to remove the announcement. Those who do not obey can withdraw from the meeting. “And I’ll ask that no one [nothing] shouts anything! - adds the bailiff. “So that there was silence and [judge] was heard.”

Zhenya Berkovich and Svetlana Petriychuk are already in a glass cage: they look tired, but try to smile. Next to them, the whole four lawyers. Ksenia Karpinskaya and Elena Oreshnikova - in black.

Judge Yuri Massin enters the hall.

“The second Western District Military Court was considered open ...” he begins and immediately stops: at the request of the prosecutor, part of the process was closed. - In a closed court hearing, a criminal case on charges of Berkovich and Petriychuk of committing a crime under Part 2 of Art. 205.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation ".

The hall is very quiet: everyone listens carefully, afraid to miss something important.

“Berkovich Evgeny Borisovna and Petriychuk Svetlana Aleksandrovna to find guilty of a crime,” Massin continues. “To appoint each punishment in the form of imprisonment for a term of six years with his serving in a penal colony of general regime.” Nikolai Matveev is trying to restrain tears. Marietta Tsigal-Polishchuk is crying. Elena Efros looks sadly at her daughter.

Listeners also wipe tears. The defendants themselves try to remain calm. “Well,” Sergey Badamshin writes in his telegram channel.

- Is the sentence understand? - turns to the defendants Massin.

“Yes, your honor,” Petriychuk answers in a broken voice, she is almost inaudible.

“Oh yes ...” Berkovich agrees thoughtfully.

The meeting ends. The bailiffs require everyone to come out. People go to the exit in absolute silence. Already on the street, both the members of the support group of the accused, and journalists are lining up in a semicircle opposite the entrance. Everyone is waiting for the lawyers.

Ksenia Karpinskaya takes out a smartphone. “The court should be guided by certain principles,” she says and reads lines from the poem of Yuri Levitansky:

Having completed the quatrain, Karpinskaya lowers the phone. And continues:

Today in court a completely illegal, unfair meeting took place. And I think that the fate of Herostratus will befall many. You can be a well-known justice, but you can earn fame by the destruction of something.

This decision, of course, will appeal, although there is little hope. But I want you to know that these girls are absolutely innocent. Absolutely innocent!

Karpinskaya applaud. She notes that at closed meetings “there was nothing new”: “At the testimony of [actor Vladimir] Karpuk, which you all heard, the secret witness of Nikita and two examinations- destructive , which you know well, and psychological linguistic -this cruel sentence was passed.”

On the day of love and fidelity, the prosecutor Ekaterina Denisova received a bouquet of flowers - and quite calmly sent these girls to prison. And no one thought neither mercy, nor about justice, nor about anything else.

Do you know that Jordano Bruno persuaded for seven years to admit and only after seven years they burned him? Today, at the hearing, Svetlana [Petriychuk] said that she would also not give up her faith and would not admit in any way that she did not commit. The same thing said Eugene. <...> Well, well, at such a time we live. Thanks a lot.

The lawyer is applauded again. It seems that the court gathered even more people than before the verdict.

- Let's go for a car for a car! It will not be worse, ”one of the listeners commands. The crowd rushes towards the gate right along the lawn. The flowers of the hosts, which the artist painted on a postcard for Elena Efros, have already been trampled by that time.

In which car is the director and playwright is taken out of the building. Therefore, just in case, the listeners see over all the cars and even a passenger car with the inscription "Investigative Committee" with applause.

Elena Efros, according to her, the decision of the judge was not surprised. The fact that lawyers will be able to appeal him and achieve a reduction in terms, she does not believe:

[Further] there will be a stage - a severe test for all prisoners, and especially for women. Then they will be brought to the camp - it is good if he is near Moscow and St. Petersburg. According to the law, it should be so. But if this is an order, then they can also send to Mordovia. And Mordovia is a real hard labor.

We will write letters. I have been writing letters to political prisoners for eight and a half years, I have been writing for my wife for the past 15 months.

According to the article on the justification of terrorism, the period spent in the pre -trial detention center counts the day a day - and not one by one and a half. If nothing changes, Zhenya Berkovich and Svetlana Petriychuk should be released on May 4, 2029.

"Shore"