Moscow charges Marina Ovsyannikova for spreading false information about Russian army

Marina
Ovsyannikova, the Russian journalist who made waves for protesting the war in
Ukraine on state television, has been charged with spreading false information
about the Russian army. Her offence punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
Ovsyannikova, born in Ukraine, rose to prominence when she barged on to the set
of live evening news broadcast on Russia’s flagship Channel One holding a
poster that said: “No War” in English.

But that
was not the last time she protested the Russian invasion of Ukraine. In July, Ovsyannikova
held up a poster that read: “Putin is a murderer, his soldiers are fascists.”
The poster was held up on the banks of the Moskva river opposite the Kremlin,
the seat of Russian governance. While she held up the poster, three blood-soaked
Russian dolls were laid on the ground in front of her.

Ovsyannikova’s
lawyer Dmitry Zakhvatov said a criminal case has been launched against her and investigators
are yet to decide on a pre-trial measure for the 44-year-old.

Ovsyannikova
told AFP last week that she hoped she would not be placed in pre-trial
detention because she has two children.

Moscow has
outlawed criticism of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. While Vladimir Putin has
sought to take bits and parts of Ukraine, he has also pummelled domestic opposition
to his positions. Putin has already put Alexei Navalny, his chief critic, in
prison. Earlier this year, Ilya Yashin and Vladimir Kara-Murza were put in
pre-trial prison. And now, Ovsyannikova risks the same fate.

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On
Wednesday, Ovsyannikova wrote on Telegram that more than 350 children had died
in Ukraine. “How many children have to die before you stop,” she said.

Ovsyannikova
had left Russia for Germany after her protest on TV. She had to return to
Russia in July as she said she needed to settle a dispute about the custody of
her two children. Ovsyannikova told AFP last week that her fate was “unenviable”
but that she would continue to speak up. “I do not plan to stop, I am not afraid
despite the constant intimidation from the authorities,” she said.