The charges brought by the Moscow court were related to her video message, which prompted others to also protest, and not to the interruption of the television broadcast.
Ovsyannikova appeared on the set of Russian state television’s Channel One evening news program on Monday, chanting “Stop the war!” and the condemnation of government “propaganda” is a striking moment of public outcry as the Kremlin stifles any criticism of its invasion of Ukraine.
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Before the assault on the set of Channel One, Ovsyannikova recorded a video message in which she said that her father was Ukrainian and her mother was Russian. She called the war in Ukraine a “crime” and called on Russians to public demonstrations.
“Unfortunately, in recent years I have been working on Channel One, doing Kremlin propaganda,” Ovsyannikova said. “And now I am very ashamed. I am ashamed that I allowed lies to be told on TV screens. I am ashamed that I allowed the Russian people to be zombified.”
On March 14, Marina Ovsyannikova posted a video message on social media calling Russia’s invasion of Ukraine a “crime.” (Marina Ovsyannikova)
OVD-Info, a human rights group that monitors protest activity and detentions in Russia, identified her as a television editor and producer and said she had been detained. Ovsyannikova’s Instagram account also identifies her as an employee of Channel One.
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During a briefing on Tuesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called Ovsyannikova’s actions “hooliganism” and said that “the TV channel, not the Kremlin, is doing this.”
Following her bold stance—protests in Russia carry great personal risk, especially as Moscow has tightened up its wartime propaganda machine—many leaders and international organizations have expressed concern for her safety. Reports that she was missing spread after her arrest. Prominent Russian lawyer Sergei Badamshin shared on social media the first photograph of Ovsyannikova since her arrest, showing her with lawyer Anton Gashinsky.
She also spoke briefly to reporters after her speech in court.
Ovsyannikova’s first comment since her arrest. She says she did not sleep for two days and was interrogated for 14 hours. He promises to answer additional questions tomorrow. Video from SOTA pic.twitter.com/h13rBpBHNm
— Maria Ilyushina (@maryilyushina) March 15, 2022
UN Human Rights Office spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani told reporters in Geneva that Russian authorities must ensure that Ovsyannikova “does not face any reprisals for exercising her right to freedom of expression.”
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James Cleverley, British Junior Foreign Secretary, told the BBC on Tuesday that the country was “worried” about its security.
“It shows a tremendous degree of courage on the part of these people who are protesting in what we know is a repressive authoritarian state,” he said. “It is really important that the Russians understand what is being done on their behalf.”
French President Emmanuel Macron, who is in ongoing talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin as part of talks to end the war, said he would bring Ovsyannikova’s case up in his next call with the Russian leader. “We will begin diplomatic efforts to offer [her] protection – either at the embassy or through asylum,” Macron said, according to France24.
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European Commission said On Tuesday, he salutes the “continued courage” of Russian citizens who oppose the war in Ukraine. More than 14,000 Russian citizens have been detained in more than 140 cities across Russia for protesting the war in Ukraine, spokesman Daniel Ferry said.
Ferry praised Ovsyannikova for her “brave moral stance” and said she “disappeared” for daring to protest.
“The state apparatus continues to oppress the internal opposition, the domestic peace-loving population, depriving them of their basic rights and freedoms,” he added.
Kira Yarmysh, press secretary for imprisoned Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, praised Ovsyannikova shared the video on her Twitter account. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky personally thanked “the woman who entered the studio of Channel One” in one of his regular video messages to the nation posted on Telegram.
Thousands of protesters against the conflict have been arrested in Russia, according to OVD-Info, saying the invasion and its aftermath have “irreversibly changed” Russian society.
Jennifer Hassan and Amar Nadir contributed to this report.