Russian state TV protester gets house arrest accused of spreading fake news

Former Russian journalist Marina Ovsyannikova was put under house arrest for two months after being accused of spreading fake news about Russia’s armed forces. The arrest follows a new law against discrediting the military that was enacted shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine. Ovsyannikova could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted. She had previously been fined twice for speaking out against the war in Ukraine, including an incident where she interrupted a live news broadcast with a placard urging viewers to reject state propaganda.

Marina Ovsyannikova, Former Russian TV journalist, was placed under house arrest for two months due to the criminal case investigation where she was charged with spreading fake news about Russia’s armed forces. Russia passed a new law against discrediting the armed forces on March 4, eight days after invading Ukraine under the name of “special military operation”. Ovsyannikova faces up to 10 years in prison if found guilty of distributing information about the Russian army that differs from government accounts. She had already been fined twice in separate cases for making public her position against the war in Ukraine. In fact, she interrupted a live national news bulletin in March, shouting “Stop the war!” and holding up a placard telling viewers not to believe state propaganda.