A former Russian state TV journalist was sentenced to nearly 9 years in prison on Wednesday for protesting Russia’s war in Ukraine, as Moscow continues to crack down on critics of Russia’s invasion.
Marina Ovsyannikova, who fled Russia with her daughter, was sentenced in absentia on Wednesday.
Marina Ovsyannikova was sentenced 8 years and 6 months in absentia after she was convicted of spreading false information about the Russian army—a charge that falls under a law Russia’s parliament adopted last year in the aftermath of the Ukrainian invasion, the Associated Press reported.
The ruling also banned Ovsyannikova from engaging with electronic media, including the internet, for four years, the BBC reported.
Ovsyannikova made headlines in March 2022 when she barged through a news broadcast at Channel One TV station, a state-run channel where she worked at the time, shouting, “Stop the war, no to war,” and holding a sign that read, “Don't believe the propaganda; they’re lying to you here.”
Despite being charged Wednesday, Ovsyannikova’s whereabouts are unknown. She and her daughter fled Russia last year after evading house arrest, according to the BBC.
After Ovsyannikova protested on live TV she was charged with disparaging the Russian military and fined more than $280. She also quit her job at the television station. Around the same time, Russia’s parliament passed a law that imposed a jail term of up to 15 years for intentionally spreading “fake” news about the military. Since then, thousands of Russians have been detained and fined under this law, according to the Human Rights Council. A number of journalists and former government officials have been charged under the law and some, like Ovsyannikova, have fled the country fearing prosecution. Ilya Yashin, an opposition politician, was also sentenced to 8 years and 6 months in prison for allegedly spreading false information in the aftermath of the new law. Meanwhile, Yahsin’s colleague Vladimir Kara-Murza was sentenced to 25 years behind bars.
Russian Journalist Who Protested Ukraine War On TV Placed On House Arrest (Forbes)