Russian authorities on Wednesday raided the home of a former state television journalist who resigned after a protest during a live broadcast against Moscow’s war in Ukraine, opening a criminal case against her for spreading false information about the Russian armed forces. , said his lawyer on social networks.
The case against Marina Ovsyannikova was opened on the basis of a law, which came into force after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24, which criminalizes statements against the army, said the lawyer, Dmitry Zakhvatov. If she is found guilty, she could receive a sentence of up to 15 years in prison.
Zakhvatov told the independent news website Meduza that the case is likely related to a protest by Ovsyannikova last month, when she held up a banner reading “(Vladimir) Putin is a murderer, his soldiers are fascists,” referring to the country’s president. .
Following the search, Ovsyannikova is expected to be brought before the Investigative Committee for questioning, the lawyer said on Telegram.
Ovsyannikova worked as a producer at the Russian state-funded television station Channel One. She jumped to the front page of international news on March 14.