MOSCOW: Former Russian television journalist Marina Ovsyannikova was found guilty of defaming the country's armed forces in a social media post condemning Russia's actions in Ukraine and sentenced to a fine of 50,000 rubles ($820).
After a brief hearing, the Moscow Administrative Court made the decision. Ovsyannikova considered the charges against her "absurd" and dismissed them.
"The evidence shows that Ovsyannikova is guilty. There is no basis to question its veracity, the judge ruled.
In March, Ovsyannikova, working for Russian state television, interrupted a live newscast to condemn the war in Ukraine. This action attracted his international attention. He was fined 30,000 rubles for defying the protest laws at that time.
Thursday's hearing was in response to subsequent social media posts in which he predicted that those held accountable for Russia's actions in Ukraine would stand trial before an international tribunal.
In early March, shortly after President Vladimir Putin referred to his "special military operation" against Ukraine, Russia passed a law that prohibits "discrediting" the armed forces and imposes a maximum sentence of 15 years. punishes.
Ovsyannikova reiterated her protest in court and vowed to stick to her statement. She claimed that she did not understand why she was there or why she was being investigated.
What is happening is absurd, he declared. The horrors of war, the blood and shame.
She continued, "You accuse me of spreading monkeypox, which is like your allegation." "The goal of the trial is to intimidate all those who oppose the war in the Russian Federation."
In his description of Russia as an aggressive nation, he claimed: "The greatest crime of our government was to start this war."
Article 29 of the Russian constitution protects the right to freedom of expression, according to Ovsyannikova's lawyer, but the judge rejected the lawyer's claims.
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