Former Russian state TV journalist gets 8 1/2-year sentence in absentia for Ukraine war criticism
Source: Associated Press
Former Russian state TV journalist gets 8 1/2-year sentence in absentia for Ukraine war criticism
BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Updated 9:21 AM EDT, October 4, 2023
A Moscow court on Wednesday sentenced a former state TV journalist 8 1/2 years in prison in absentia for protesting Russia’s war in Ukraine, the latest in a crackdown on dissent that has intensified since the invasion began nearly 20 months ago.
Marina Ovsyannikova was charged with spreading false information about the Russian army, a criminal offense under a law adopted shortly after President Vladimir Putin sent troops to Ukraine.
She staged a protest near the Kremlin in July 2022, holding a sign that said, “Putin is a killer. His soldiers are fascists. 352 children have been killed. How many more children need to die for you to stop?”
She was detained and placed under house arrest, but managed to escape to France with her daughter. Russian authorities put her on a wanted list and prosecuted and tried her in absentia.
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Read more: https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-tv-journalist-2c6cfa2b0c8761119aaf354de084a7f7
