Russian former state TV journalist Marina Ovsyannikova has been charged with spreading false information about the Russian army, an offence punishable by up to 10 years in prison, her lawyer said on Telegram.
Marina Ovsyannikova arriving for a court session in Moscow, 8 August. Photo: AFP / Alexander Nemenov
The charges relate to a protest last month, when Ovsyannikova held up an anti-war placard on the Moskva river embankment opposite the Kremlin and posted images of the protest on her Telegram channel.
Ovsyannikova, who was born in Ukraine, came to international prominence in March by walking out in front of studio cameras with an anti-war placard during a live evening news broadcast on Russia's flagship Channel One.
Journalist Marina Ovsyannikova holds a placard reading "Stop the war. Don't believe the propaganda. Here they are lying to you" during an evening news broadcast on 14 March 2022, in protest at Russia's war in Ukraine. Photo: AFP / Channel One
State TV is the main source of news for many millions of Russians, and closely follows the Kremlin line that Russia was forced to act in Ukraine to demilitarise and "denazify" the country, and to defend Russian-speakers there against "genocide". Ukraine and most of the world have condemned that as a false pretext for an invasion of a democratic country.
Ovsyannikova has since been arrested and fined several times for her continued opposition to Russia's military campaign in Ukraine.
She had announced earlier on Wednesday that federal investigators had forced their way into her house at 6am to conduct a search before taking her away to charge her.
- Reuters