Russian reporter Maria Ponomarenko arrested for two months under Russia’s ‘fake news’ law

A court in St. Petersburg has sent Russian reporter Maria Ponomarenko to a pre-trial detention facility for two months under Russia’s “fake news” law. Ponomarenko works at Rosnews independent news outlet, which reported her arrest.

The court ruled to arrest Ponomarenko until June 22.

Ponomarenko was detained on April 24. Police filed criminal charges against the reporter for the March 17 publication on the Telegram channel about civilians hiding in the Mariupol theatre that was bombed by Russian forces. The outlet’s Telegram channel has about 1,600 subscribers. If convicted, she can face up to 10 years behind bars.

On April 22, a Moscow court arrested Russian politician Vladimir Kara-Murza until June 12 for spreading “false information” about the Russian army at an Arizona House of Representatives on March 15, 2022.

Earlier, a St. Petersburg court arrested local artist Sasha Skochilenko until May 31 under the “fake news” law. The artist is suspected of replacing price tags at supermarkets with information about civilians killed in the Mariupol theatre bombing. She faces up to 10 years in prison.

The new iteration of the so-called “fake news” law criminalises “public dissemination of false information” about the Russian army. Criminal proceedings under this law were also launched earlier against Ukrainian journalist Dmitry Gordon and a number of Russian journalists: Alexander Nevzorov, Andrey Novashov (Sibir.Realii, Tayga.info), Isabella Yevloeva (Fortanga), Sergei Mikhailov (Listok), Mikhail Afanasyev (Novyi Fokus) and Ilya Krasilshchik.