A court in Barnaul extended the term of detention in a pre-trial detention center for RusNews journalist Maria Ponomarenko

In Barnaul, the Oktyabrsky District Court extended the term of detention in a pre-trial detention center for RusNews journalist Maria Ponomarenko, accused in the case of “fake news” about the Russian army, until August 28. This was reported in the publication’s Telegram channel.

The journalist was detained on April 23 in St. Petersburg, and her home was searched. At the end of April, Ponomarenko was placed in custody. She is charged with disseminating deliberately false information about the use of Russian armed forces (207.3 of the Criminal Code) due to a post about the destroyed drama theater in Mariupol. Later she was transferred to Barnaul.

The woman is supported by two minor children.

16:40 After the meeting, Maria Ponomarenko had a nervous breakdown - the journalist learned about the interrogation of her minor children. This was recorded by Barnaul activists who came to support Ponomarenko. Activists were not allowed into the meeting itself.

• According to media reports , on March 16, the Mariupol City Council reported the destruction of the drama theater, where civilians were sheltering, as a result of an airstrike. The Russian Ministry of Defense denies this information, saying that the building was blown up by nationalist militants.
• In previous years, Ponomarenko participated in various events in Barnaul. In 2020 and 2021, she was fined because of publicationsabout a rally in support of the ex-governor of the Khabarovsk Territory Sergei Furgal, because of a visit to court wearing a protective mask with the inscription “Putin resign,” because of “ insulting ” Putin on TikTok - video “Putin resign! Khabarovsk, I’m with you,” because of the picket “Russia, wake up!” on Constitution Day and because of Instagramstories about the rally in support of Alexei Navalny. A pre-investigation check was also carried out against Ponomarenko under the “Dada” article of the Criminal Code on repeated violations at rallies (Article 212.1 of the Criminal Code).
• Article 207.3 (Public dissemination of knowingly false information about the use of the armed forces of the Russian Federation) was included in the Criminal Code in March 2022 - in this way the authorities responded to anti-war speeches and statements, as well as the dissemination of information about the war that does not come from official Russian sources. The maximum penalty under the article is ten years in prison.