Russia: War Protest Journalist Sentenced in Absentia
Marina Ovsyannikova, a former Russian TV journalist who made headlines when she interrupted a newscast with a sign reading 'Stop the war' and 'They're lying to you,' was sentenced in a Moscow court on Wednesday in absentia to eight and a half years in prison....
Facts
- Marina Ovsyannikova, a former Russian TV journalist who made headlines when she interrupted a newscast with a sign reading 'Stop the war' and 'They're lying to you,' was sentenced in a Moscow court on Wednesday in absentia to eight and a half years in prison.1
- Ms. Ovsyannikova was charged with spreading false information about the Russian army, a criminal offense under a law adopted after President Vladimir Putin sent troops into Ukraine. In July 2022, she staged a protest near the Kremlin, holding a sign that said, 'Putin is a killer.“2
- Ovsyannikova, who worked for state-run Channel One in Russia until March 2022, was detained and placed under house arrest but was later able to escape to France with her daughter, where she currently resides.3
- The conviction of Ovsyannikova was denounced by the French foreign minister, Catherine Colonna, on Wednesday. She claimed: 'Russian propaganda is a weapon in and of itself in Russia's war of aggression in Ukraine.'4
- Ovsyannikova called the charges 'absurd and politically motivated' in a statement posted on Telegram, when she heard the news of the verdict. 'Of course I don't admit my guilt,' she wrote, adding: 'I don't retract a single word.'1
Sources: 1Reuters, 2ABC News, 3CBS and 4Barrons.
Narratives
- Anti-Russia narrative, as provided by Diplomatie. Russian authorities' crack down on government critics, and their actions in Ukraine, are deeply troubling. Ms. Ovsyannikova has courageously denounced the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine and France strongly condemns her prison term. Russian authorities must abide by international human rights law and respect the freedom to inform, as well as release all political prisoners and drop legal proceedings against them.
- Pro-Russia narrative, as provided by TASS. Breaking the law should always incur ramifications. Ms. Ovsyannikova was tried at the Basmanny District Court and found guilty of spreading false information, carrying a sentence of eight and a half year in prison. Having made dangerous accusations against Putin, Ovsyannikova is now facing the consequences.
