Former Russian state TV journalist gets 8 1/2-year sentence in absentia for Ukraine war criticism

By The Associated Press

A court in Moscow has sentenced a former state TV journalist to 8 1/2 years in prison in absentia for protesting Russia’s war in Ukraine, the latest example of a crackdown on dissent that has intensified since Moscow’s invasion nearly 20 months ago. Marina Ovsyannikova was charged with spreading false information about the Russian army, a criminal offense under a law adopted shortly after President Vladimir Putin sent troops to Ukraine. She held a protest in Moscow in July 2022, carrying a sign that called Putin “a killer.” Ovsyannikova worked at for state-run Channel One until last year and became famous for staging an on-air protest. She later fled to France with her daughter.