Anti-war journalist Marina Ovsyannikova charged with defaming Russian armed forces, faces upto 10 year in jail
Thursday, 11 August 2022 (12:50 IST)
Marina Ovsyannikova, Russian journalist known for her on-air demonstration against the Ukraine war, is now facing charges over a separate protest near the Kremlin.
Ovsyannikova drew global attention when she disrupted a live news broadcast in March, holding up a placard that read "No war" and urged Russians not to believe propaganda.
"They are lying to you here," she wrote, referring to er employer at the time, Russian state-owned Channel One. She was subsequently detained, and then released and ordered to pay a fine.
On Wednesday, Ovsyannikova's lawyer said that the 44-year-old reporter was back in detention and is now facing charges over a one-woman protest which she staged near the Kremlin last month.
On that instance, Ovsyannikova held up a banner that said that Russian President Vladimir Putin is a killer and "his soldiers are fascists. 352 children have been killed (in Ukraine). How many more children should die for you to stop?"
If convicted, she could face up to 10 years in prison under a draconian Russian law which virtually outlaws criticizing the military. The law was passed shortly after the Ukraine invasion started in late February.
