A court in Russia’s Barnaul has sentenced Maria Ponomarenko of RusNews to six years in prison for “spreading fake news about the Russian army”, as per RusNews.

Ponomarenko was also barred from any media activities for five years.

Criminal proceedings against her were triggered by a post in a Telegram channel with 1,600 followers, dated 17 March. Apparently, the post was about people hiding in the Mariupol drama theatre.

“When I hear Ukrainians calling for violence on TV, when I hear the same calls from our side, I don’t get it. We live in the 21st century, not the stone age, do we? Why didn’t we let Chechnya go in the 90s? The same things [irredentism] you support in a neighbouring country, you ban in your own one. That’s pure hypocrisy,” the journalist said in her final plea.

Ponomarenko was sent to a pre-trial facility in Saint Petersburg in late April 2022 where she slit her wrists in September. RusNews says their journalist has claustrophobia and histrionic personality disorder.

In November, Ponomarenko was sent to house arrest. In late January 2023 she left her apartment and came to a police station, after which she was sent to a pre-trial jail again by court decision. RusNews reported that she left home due to a hostile environment. Yulia Galyamina, a former Moscow councilwoman, reported that Ponomarenko had a quarrel with her ex-husband who resided in the same apartment.

Share
Topics
Society
More news
Anti-Corruption Foundation publishes Kremlin’s ‘tailored’ autopsy of Alexey Navalny
4 hours ago
Swedish prosecutors charge Russian citizen after ‘shadow fleet’ cargo ship seized
7 hours ago
Supreme Court of Ukraine upholds landmark ruling recognising ‘de facto’ same-sex marriage
9 hours ago
Varvara Voronchikhina wins Russia’s first Paralympic gold since 2014
9 hours ago
US to let India buy millions of barrels of Russian oil from vessels stranded by Iran war
March 6, 16:21
Hungary seizes €70 million in cash from Ukrainian bank staff as rift with Kyiv worsens
March 6, 14:38
Readers' choice
Most popular articles from the last two weeks 23–9 марта
Influencer operation
Subjects
Influencer operation
A cohort of pro-Kremlin content creators is shamelessly portraying the Russian occupation of Mariupol in a positive light
Yulia Akhmedova
December 1, 16:13
Now it wails like a wildest beast, now it lies like a petulant child
Interviews
Now it wails like a wildest beast, now it lies like a petulant child
How Russia wants to occupy Donbas and why the authorities will continue to disregard military losses (but will still cover them up). Military expert explains
Вячеслав Половинко
April 24, 11:51
NATO’s next test
Subjects
NATO’s next test
The alliance must face down the Russian threat in places where deterrence is most fragile, such as the Suwałki corridor
Agnia Grigas
February 19, 10:40