Russian Journalist Fined After Anti-War Protest On Live TV

A Ruusian journalist who stormed her TV network’s studio and interrupted a live news bulletin by shouting slogans denouncing Moscow’s war in Ukraine has been found guilty of flouting laws against protesting in the country.

Marina Ovsyannikova was released from custody Tuesday, March 15, and fined about 30,000 rubles ($270 approx.) for appearing on state TV brandishing an anti-war sign that read "Stop the war. Don’t believe propaganda. They’re lying to you," in a mix of English and Russian.

She was arrested and taken to a Moscow police station shortly after her on-air protest on Monday night.

The Kremlin described Ovsyannikova’s actions in the Channel One studio as "hooliganism".

"As far as this woman is concerned, this is hooliganism," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

Before staging the extraordinary show of dissent on live TV, Ovsyannikova recorded a video in which she called on Russians to protest the war, saying, "Only we have the power to stop all this craziness," the Russian OVD-Info human rights group said.

She said she was "deeply ashamed" to have been a part of "Kremlin propaganda", OVD-Info said.

"I am ashamed that I allowed lies to be broadcast from TV screens. Ashamed that I allowed others to zombify Russian people."

"What is happening in Ukraine is a crime and Russia is the aggressor. Responsibility for that aggression lies on the conscience of only one person. That person is Vladimir Putin," Ovsyannikova said in her prerecorded video.

"My father is Ukrainian, my mother is Russian, and they were never enemies," she added. "The necklace around my neck is a symbol that Russia must immediately stop this brother-killing war and our brother peoples can yet reconcile."

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky acknowledged Ovsyannikova’s heroic act during his nightly video address.

"I am grateful to those Russians who do not stop trying to convey the truth. To those who fight disinformation and tell the truth, real facts to their friends and loved ones," he said.

"And personally to the woman who entered the studio of Channel One with a poster against the war," Zelensky added.

Under a law passed by Russia’s parliament this month, public actions that discredit Russia’s army and categorize the invasion of Ukraine as a "war" is punishable and would carry a jail term of up to 15 years.

"I want everyone to understand, and for society to understand, that we are doing this to protect our soldiers and officers, and to protect the truth," the speaker of the lower house, Vyacheslav Volodin, said.

State media outlets have been told to refer Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as a "special military operation" rather than a "war" or "invasion".

The OVD-Info indicates that more than 14,000 people have been arrested across cities in Russia so far for protesting against the war.