Woman who protested war on Russian state TV appears in court after lawyers report her missing
Update 1:09 p.m. ET: Ovsyannikova appeared in court with her lawyer late on Tuesday, and according to Reuters, she was fined 30,000 roubles, or $280. This post's headline has been updated; our original story appears below.
Where is Marina Ovsyannikova, the woman who protested against the war in Ukraine on Russian state TV? Her lawyers aren't sure.
Ovsyannikova, an editor at the Russian state-run Channel One, in a viral video on Monday held a sign on the air that read, "Stop the war. Don't believe in propaganda. They're lying to you." By Tuesday morning, Dmitry Zakhvatov, a lawyer for Ovsyannikova, told CNN he's been trying to locate her since the protest but doesn't know where she is.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Another lawyer, Anastasia Kostanova, told BBC News she "spent the whole night looking" for Ovsyannikova but hasn't been able to reach her.
"This means that they are hiding her from her lawyers and trying to deprive her of legal assistance and, apparently, they are trying to prepare the most stringent prosecution," Kostanova told BBC News, while attorney Pavel Chikov tweeted she "has not yet been found" and "has been imprisoned for more than 12 hours." Ovsyannikova was reportedly detained after the protest.
In addition to the sign, Ovsyannikova also recorded a video message, saying she's "ashamed" to be spreading Kremlin propaganda and that "what is happening in Ukraine is a crime."
According to The Washington Post, Russia's state-run news agency TASS reported that the Russian Investigative Committee began a "pre-investigation check" against Ovsyannikova, which could lead to charges for "discrediting" Russia's armed forces. A spokesperson for the Kremlin decried Ovsyannikova's protest as "hooliganism" and said "the channel and those who are in charge are dealing with it."
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky praised Ovsyannikova and others who "don't stop trying to deliver the truth, who are fighting against disinformation and tell real facts to their friends and families."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
Is it safe for refugees to return to Syria?
Talking Point European countries rapidly froze asylum claims after Assad's fall but Syrian refugees may have reason not to rush home
By Richard Windsor, The Week UK Published
-
Quiz of The Week: 14 - 20 December
Have you been paying attention to The Week's news?
By The Week Staff Published
-
Drugmakers paid pharmacy benefit managers to avoid restricting opioid prescriptions
Under the radar The middlemen and gatekeepers of insurance coverage have been pocketing money in exchange for working with Big Pharma
By Theara Coleman, The Week US Published
-
Ukraine-Russia: are both sides readying for nuclear war?
Today's Big Question Putin changes doctrine to lower threshold for atomic weapons after Ukraine strikes with Western missiles
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
What would happen if Russia declared war on Nato?
In depth Response to an attack on UK or other Western allies would be 'overwhelming'
By Richard Windsor, The Week UK Last updated
-
Are Ukraine's F-16 fighter jets too little too late?
Today's Big Question US-made aircraft are 'significant improvement' on Soviet-era weaponry but long delay and lack of trained pilots could undo advantage against Russia
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Ukraine's stolen children
Under the Radar Officially 20,000 children have been detained since Russia's invasion in 2022, but the true number is likely to be far higher
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
A brief timeline of Russia's war in Ukraine
In Depth How the Kremlin's plan for a quick conquest turned into a quagmire
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Why is Ukraine backing far-right militias in Russia?
Today's Big Question The role of the fighters is a 'double-edged sword' for Kyiv, say commentators
By The Week UK Published
-
What does victory now look like for Ukraine?
Today's Big Question Not losing is as important as winning as the tide turns in Russia's favour again
By Elliott Goat, The Week UK Published
-
British warship repels 'largest Houthi attack to date' in the Red Sea
Speed read Western allies warn of military response to Iranian-backed Yemeni rebels if attacks on ships continue
By Richard Windsor, The Week UK Published