LONDON (Reuters) – Former Russian television journalist Marina Ovsiannikova was placed under house arrest for two months on Thursday as part of an investigation into charges of spreading false information about the Russian military, reports the Interfax news agency citing a Moscow court.
Marina Ovsiannikova has already been fined twice for protesting against the war in Ukraine, notably after her coup in March, when she held up a sign in the middle of the television news urging viewers not to believe the state propaganda.
She faces up to ten years in prison if found guilty of spreading information about the Russian military that differs from that of the government.
The lawsuits against her are linked to her participation in a demonstration organized in July in front of the Kremlin, during which she held up a poster calling President Vladimir Putin a murderer and his soldiers fascists.
“How many more children have to die before you stop?” could we read on the poster.
Russia adopted a new law on March 4 that criminalizes any criticism of its armed forces, eight days after invading Ukraine in what it presents as a “special military operation”.
According to Interfax, the Basmanny court in Moscow ordered Marina Ovsiannikova to be placed under house arrest until October 9. Reuters could not immediately reach the court.
(Reporting Mark Trevelyan; French version Elena Vardon, editing by Tangi Salaün)
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