Marina Ovsyannikova, recognized for her anti-war protests, confronted 10 years in jail in Russia for spreading ‘pretend information’.
Former Russian state TV journalist Marina Ovsyannikova, who interrupted a dwell information broadcast with an anti-war protest and was accused of spreading “pretend information” concerning the battle in Ukraine, has fled the nation after escaping from home arrest, in keeping with her lawyer.
Ovsyannikova is at present “underneath the safety of a European state”, lawyer Dmitry Zakhvatov stated on Monday, declining to elaborate as “it might grow to be an issue” for her.
In March, Ovsyannikova interrupted a dwell night information programme on Russia’s state tv, holding up an indication behind the studio presenter that stated “NO WAR. Cease the battle” and “Don’t imagine the propaganda”.
She was arrested, charged with disparaging the Russian navy and fined 30,000 roubles ($270 on the time).
The Kremlin denounced her protest as “hooliganism”.
The Channel One editor give up her job however refused to just accept an asylum provide in France from President Emmanuel Macron, saying “I don’t need to depart our nation”.
After quitting her job, Ovsyannikova turned an activist, staging anti-war pickets.
The 44-year-old was given two months’ home arrest in August over a protest in July when she held up a poster that described Russian President Vladimir Putin as a “assassin” and Moscow’s troops as “fascists”.
On October 5, Ovsyannikova posted on the Telegram messenger app that she escaped the home arrest, saying, “I contemplate myself utterly harmless, and since our state refuses to adjust to its personal legal guidelines, I refuse to adjust to the measure of restraint imposed on me”.
She faces as much as 10 years in jail on fees of spreading pretend information about Russia’s armed forces if discovered responsible.
Her whereabouts since then have been unknown.
Zakhvatov stated Ovsyannikova’s daughter left the nation along with her, whereas her son remained in Russia. He declined to say the place she was however advised the Reuters information company: “Quickly all the pieces will likely be made public. We want a few weeks.”
On March 4, Russia handed a brand new legislation underneath which Russians may face jail sentences of as much as 15 years for spreading data that goes towards the Russian authorities’s place on the battle in Ukraine, a transfer that got here as authorities blocked entry to overseas media shops.