After emerging from court in Moscow, Marina Ovsyannikova said she was questioned for 14 hours and hadn't slept in two days. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy joined the world in hailing the TV producer for her bravery.
The world is embracing a brave Russian TV producer who risked it all when she interrupted Russia’s most-watched live TV newscast to share an anti-war message.
Marina Ovsyannikova held up a handwritten “No war” sign and yelled “Stop the war!” as an anchorwoman read the news, ignoring what was going on behind her. “Don’t believe the propaganda. They’re lying to you here,” her sign said.
Her one-woman protest lasted just six seconds before the station cut away.
“What is happening in Ukraine right now is a crime and Russia is the aggressor. Only we have the power to stop this madness. Go protest. Do not be afraid. They cannot put us all in jail,” Ovsyannikova said in a pre-recorded a video.
According to reports, Ovsyannikova was immediately taken into custody, and the Kremlin called her protest an act of “hooliganism.”
There were fears the 44-year-old journalist and mom of two would never be seen again, but she was later photographed after a court hearing in Moscow. She says she was questioned for 14 hours and hadn't slept in two days.
“I made this decision by myself, because I don’t like Russia starting this invasion. It was really terrible,” Ovsyannikova said.
She was found guilty of “organizing an unauthorized rally” and fined 30,000 rubles, which is about $280. She reportedly still faces criminal charges that could land her behind bars for 15 years.
“The news of Marina's protest is spreading like wildfire all over social media. I think it will empower others to stand up against the unjust and brutal war,” Daily Beast Russian media analyst Julia Davis said.
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy joined the world in hailing the TV producer, saying he's thankful to her and all Russians who won't stop trying to deliver the truth.
