A week ago, TV presenter Marina Owsiannikova (43) drew the ire of Russia’s dictator Vladimir Putin (69) when she stormed a “news” program on state television with a “No War” poster – now the Kremlin seems to be everything to do to ruin their reputation.
Kirill Kleimjonow, head of news at “Erster Kanal” and ex-boss of Mutig-Marina, has accused her of being a British spy. “Not long before her action, Marina Ovsiannikova spoke to the British embassy,” Kleimyonov claimed in a program of the Propaganda channel.
Then Kleimyonov uttered the phrase intended to turn Marina’s courageous and selfless protest into self-interested treason: “Being emotionally impulsive is one thing, but treason is quite another.” And if a person betrays a country…coldly and hypocritically in exchange for a bonus…”
Then? The Kremlin propagandist doesn’t give the answer, but the message is clear: if Kleimjonov has his way, Mutig-Marina should be punished even more severely for her war protest than the already tightened penal codes provide for.
Because: Russia has recently dramatically tightened its penalties for demonstrations and the use of the forbidden words “war” and “invasion” – Putin is trying with all his might to sweep the truth under the carpet, to suppress free opinion and the press.
ANYONE allegedly spreading “false information” about the military faces up to 15 years in prison. The Kremlin decides what is wrong. The legal basis: Article 20.3.3. of the Administrative Code, “public measures aimed at discrediting the use of the armed forces”.
Experts calculate that Marina will get from 5 to 10 years. According to Russian law, espionage carries another 12 to 20 years in prison.
Marina Owsiannikova had to pay a fine of 30,000 rubles (around 260 euros) just for the video recorded before her protest action.
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Brave-Marina said nothing but the truth: “What is happening in Ukraine is a crime, and Russia is the aggressor. The responsibility for this aggression rests with one man: Vladimir Putin. My father is Ukrainian, my mother Russian, and they were never enemies.” It is clear to her: “Russia must end this fratricidal war.”
Speaking about her job at Channel One, Owsiannikova said: “Unfortunately, I’ve been working for Channel One for the past few years. I did Kremlin propaganda and I am very ashamed of it — letting people lie from TV screens and allowing the Russian people to be zombified.”
A little later, Mutig-Marina stormed into the propaganda station with a protest poster and shouted loudly several times in front of the camera: “No to war, no to war, no to war!” On her poster it says in Russian: “Don’t believe the propaganda . Here you will be lied to”. And in English: “No war! Russians against war!”