Russian journalist detained, charged over war criticism

By The Associated Press

Russian authorities have detained and charged a former state TV journalist who quit after staging an on-air protest against Moscow’s war in Ukraine. Her lawyer says she was charged Wednesday with spreading false information about the Russian armed forces under a new law that penalizes statements against the military. If tried and convicted, Marina Ovsyannikova faces up to 10 years in prison. She used to work as a producer with Russian state-funded Channel One. She made international headlines when she appeared behind the anchor of an evening news broadcast with a poster that said “stop the war, don’t believe the propaganda, they are lying to you here.” The new charges relate to a separate street protest she staged last month.