Russian TV journalist who protested Ukraine conflict on-air turns up in courtroom

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Marina Ovsyannikova, an editor at Channel One, was in courtroom with one among her attorneys, Anton Gashinsky. A photograph of Ovsyannikova and Gashinsky was posted to Telegram.

Taking a brave stance in opposition to Russian President Vladimir Putin and his authorities, Ovsyannikova on Monday protested on air, standing behind a information anchor with an indication that stated: “NO WAR.”

The Kremlin on Tuesday described Ovsyannikova’s actions as “hooliganism,” a felony offense in Russia.

Russian state information company Tass reported that regulation enforcement officers had begun a preliminary investigation into the “public dissemination of intentionally false details about the usage of the Russian Armed Forces.”

Ovsyannikova’s lawyer Dmitry Zakhvatov informed CNN earlier Tuesday he had been unable to find her following the protest on Monday. Buddies of Ovsyannikova had informed OVD-Information, an impartial human rights protest-monitoring group, she was on the Ostankino Police Division.

The courageous protest has been performed repeatedly all through the day on worldwide tv and has captured the eye of political leaders.

French President Emmanuel Macron supplied safety for Ovsyannikova.

“France strongly condemns any imprisonment of a journalist in addition to any manipulation and clearly we’re going to launch diplomatic steps aimed toward providing safety both on the embassy or an asylum safety to your colleague,” Macron informed reporters at a Ukrainian refugee middle in France.

Macron additionally stated he would increase the difficulty immediately with Putin throughout their subsequent name.

Censoring the press

Putin earlier this month signed a censorship bill that criminalizes “pretend” details about the invasion of Ukraine, with a penalty of as much as 15 years in jail for anybody convicted, in keeping with the Committee to Shield Journalists.
Russia has cracked down on native media shops over the conflict in Ukraine and plenty of have curtailed their protection in consequence. Worldwide networks equivalent to CNN, ABC Information, CBS Information and others have stopped broadcasting from Russia. And impartial Russian information outlet TV Rain, also referred to as Dozhd, shut down altogether. Its editor and employees, together with different impartial journalists, have left the nation.

They’ve since reportedly been joined by a presenter for the pro-Kremlin NTV channel. State information company RIA Novosti reported Tuesday that Lilia Gildeeva “not works” for NTV.

The Telegram channel for in style Russian blogger Ilya Varlamov reported Gildeeva stated in an interview that she had resigned and left the nation.

“At first I left [the country], I used to be afraid that they would not simply let me go, then I submitted my resignation,” Varlamov quoted her as saying.

NTV refused to remark. CNN has tried to contact Gildeeva for remark. The rationale for her resignation has not been disclosed.

Ovsyannikova’s stand

Earlier than making her protest, Ovsyannikova recorded a video.

“What is occurring now in Ukraine is a criminal offense, and Russia is the aggressor nation, and the duty for this aggression lies on the conscience of just one particular person. This man is Vladimir Putin,” Ovsyannikova says within the video, noting that her father is Ukrainian, and her mom is Russian.

What does Putin want in Ukraine? The conflict explained

“Sadly, for the previous few years, I’ve been engaged on Channel One and doing Kremlin propaganda, and now I’m very ashamed of it,” she says within the video. “It is a disgrace that I allowed to talk lies from the TV screens, ashamed that I allowed to zombify Russian individuals.”

“I’m ashamed that we stored silent in 2014, when all this was simply starting,” she says, a reference to Russia’s annexation of Crimea.

— CNN’s Paul Murphy contributed to this report

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