It was in March 2022 that the Russian editor Marina Ovsjannikova (45) broke into the studio during a live broadcast on one of the largest TV channels in Russia with the poster “Don’t believe the propaganda” and “stop the war”.
Ovsjannikova, who worked for the state TV channel “Kanal 1”, protested against Russia’s war in Ukraine.
She then received a fine of 30,000 roubles, which corresponds to around NOK 2,500. She was then convicted of violating the Russian Demonstration Act.
In July 2022, however, she campaigned again. This time by standing up near the Kremlin with a placard that read “Putin is a murderer. His soldiers are fascists”.
Ovsjannikova documented this and posted it on public channels.
It was not popular with the Russian authorities.
It is this protest that has meant that she has now been sentenced to serve eight and a half years in a prison colony.
In addition, she is banned for four years from managing websites that spread information.
She is convicted of spreading false information about Russia’s armed forces.
On 4 March, a new law was passed in Russia, which makes it possible to punish people with 15 years in prison for providing “wrong information” about the war in Ukraine.
Marina Ovsjannikova has not been afraid to show her displeasure with Russia’s warfare.
Photo: AFP
In a statement released before the sentencing, she called the charges against her absurd and politically motivated.
– Of course I do not admit my guilt and I do not deny any of my words. I made a very difficult choice, but it was the only morally right thing to do. I have already paid a high enough price for it, was some of what she said in the statement.
Ovsjannikova left Russia last October with her daughter.
She had then been put on Russia’s most wanted list because she had breached the conditions of the house arrest she was in while awaiting trial.
Since Russia started the war against Ukraine last year, dozens of Russians have been sentenced to prison or fined for criticizing the country.
2023-10-04 07:38:37
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