(FreedomBeacon.com)- The former Russian state-TV producer who famously protested Russia’s invasion of Ukraine during a live broadcast in March was arrested last Wednesday after her Moscow home was raided by police.
Marina Ovsyannikova confirmed the raid on her home in a post on Telegram, saying dozens of police and members of the Investigative Committee “stormed into my house” at six in the morning.
On Thursday, she appeared in court where she was charged with spreading fake news about the Russian military, a charge that carries a prison sentence of up to ten years.
During a live broadcast on March 14, Ovsyannikova paraded behind the news anchor carrying a sign reading, “Stop the war. Don’t believe the propaganda. Here they are lying to you.” She was briefly arrested, fined about 30,000 rubles, and left Russia only to return last month after her ex-husband filed a lawsuit seeking sole custody of their two children.
At the time of her return, Ovsyannikova admitted that she would likely be arrested if she came back to Russia.
And she was right.
Last week’s raid and arrest were prompted by an incident in mid-July when Ovsyannikova staged a protest across from the Kremlin holding a sign with slogans criticizing Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Russian military. Lying at her feet were two dolls covered in red dye to highlight the children killed in the Ukraine war.
During her court appearance last Thursday, Ovsynnikova continued her anti-war protests, holding up a sign reading, “May the murdered children haunt your dreams at night.”
According to local news outlets, Ovsynnikova has been placed under house arrest until her trial which is scheduled for October 9.
Russian human rights watchdog OVD-info estimates that over 15,000 people have been detained in Russia and at least 178 are facing lengthy prison sentences for taking part in anti-war protests since Russia invaded Ukraine in late February.
