Marina Ovsiannikova was arrested on Wednesday for “discrediting” the Russian army. You face up to 10 years in prison.
Russian journalist Marina Ovsiannikova, famous for criticizing the offensive in Ukraine on live TV, was placed under house arrest on Thursday in a criminal case that could land her in jail, a Moscow court heard.
“The Basmanny District Court has granted investigators’ request for an interim measure of house arrest … until October 9,” the court said in a statement.
You face up to 10 years in prison.
Marina Ovsiannikova is accused of “discrediting” the army during a lone protest in mid-July when she held up a sign near the Kremlin accusing Russian forces of abusive practices in Ukraine.
She faces up to 10 years in prison under a new article in the Penal Code, passed after the conflict began to deter criticism.
During Thursday’s hearing, Marina Ovsiannikova held up a sign that read: “May the children who died (during the conflict in Ukraine) haunt your dreams.” The 44-year-old journalist was arrested at her home on Wednesday.
Since the end of July, Marina Ovsiannikova has already been fined twice for “discrediting” the Russian army, in particular due to messages published on social networks criticizing the offensive in Ukraine.
A striking intervention on Russian television
Marina Ovsiannikova rose to fame in mid-March after appearing in full length on the set of a pro-Kremlin TV channel she worked for. During her speech, she carried a sign denouncing the offensive in Ukraine and the “propaganda” of the power-controlled media.
The images of his gesture went around the world. Many people praised his courage in the context of suppressing any critical voice in Russia. However, she is not unanimous in the Russian opposition, with some still accusing her of having worked for years for the Pervy Kanal broadcaster, the Kremlin’s mouthpiece.
After working abroad for several months, notably for the German newspaper Die Welt, she announced in early July that she had returned to Russia to resolve a custody dispute over her two children.
The Russian authorities are following all voices denouncing the offensive in Ukraine. Several opponents were arrested or fled the country, independent media outlets were shut down and the main foreign social networks were blocked.