She became known through her live protest on Russian television against the war in Ukraine. After a second action, the journalist Marina Owsjannikova has now been arrested in Russia.
According to several reports, TV journalist Marina Ovsyannikova has been temporarily arrested following another protest against Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine. Photos were posted on her Telegram channel on Sunday, apparently showing police officers taking her into a minibus. Her lawyer told the Ria-Nowosti news agency that he suspected the arrest was “in some way” related to Ovsyannikova’s renewed protest action a few days ago. There is no information about her whereabouts.
There was no official comment on the arrest. A few days ago, 44-year-old Ovsyannikova demonstrated standing alone near the Kremlin, holding up a poster criticizing the Russian operation in Ukraine and calling President Vladimir Putin a “killer”.
Against Russia’s war: Marina Owsjannikova protests again with a poster
On Friday, Ovsyannikova published photos of herself at the action on Telegram. Such public statements are punishable in Russia as publishing “false information” and “denigrating” the army. They can be sentenced to long terms of imprisonment.
“Marina was arrested. There is no information about where she is,” her team wrote on the journalist’s channel on Telegram. The message contained three photos of Ovzyannikova being led by two police officers to a white van after apparently being detained while cycling.
Ovzyannikova appeared behind the anchorwoman on March 14 during the Pervy Kanal news program “Vremja”. Ovzyannikova, who herself worked as an editor for the channel, held up a sign that read “Stop the war. Don’t believe the propaganda. You’re being lied to here” to the camera. She also shouted “Stop the war!” before the live broadcast ended.
TV journalist worked briefly at “Welt”
After the action, the journalist was briefly in police custody, but was then released and sentenced to pay a fine. Internationally, Owsyannikova received a lot of praise and support, but there were also critical voices from the Russian opposition. One of the criticisms was that Ovsiannikova had worked for years for the Perwy Kanal broadcaster, which the opposition believe to be the Kremlin’s de facto mouthpiece.
After her protest, Ovsjannikova spent several months abroad and worked briefly for the German newspaper “Die Welt”. In early July, she announced her return to Russia to resolve a custody battle over her child.
