Russian journalist protesting war in Ukraine may face 10 years in prison

After searching her home, Russian authorities have accused television journalist Marina Ovsynnikova of distributing false information to the armed forces.

Ovsynnikova lawyer Dmitry Zachvatov said on August 10th that his client was arrested on charges of “publicly sharing false information for the Russian armed forces” and could face 10 years in prison if convicted.

The lawyer said earlier in Telegram that police entered his client's apartment in Moscow and searched him without her presence.

On March 14th, the journalist had appeared on live broadcast during the edition of news on Russia's state television, Channel One, holding an inscription behind the presentation, in which war was condemned in Ukraine.

The Russian inscription said: “not war. Stop the war. Don't believe propaganda. They're lying to you here”

A district court in Moscow on August 8th ordered it to pay a fine of 40,000 rubles (660 dollars) for its latest internet posts protesting against Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine.

Before that, the same court fined Ovsynnikova with 50,000 rubel (825,) because of her protest against the Russian occupation, with the inscription “Putin being a murderer, his soldiers are fascist”.

She resigned from Channel One and spent several months abroad, including Ukraine, repeatedly expressing her opposition to the war. /Rel