Imprisoned Russian journalist declares hunger strike

Russian journalist Maria Ponomarenko has announced a hunger strike while serving a six-year sentence for “spreading false information” about the Russian military, independent news outlet RusNews wrote on Monday.

Ponomarenko, who worked for RusNews before her arrest, said that her signature had been forged in seven documents justifying her transfer to solitary confinement, and that she had not been given an opportunity to challenge them, RusNews wrote.

During a court hearing considering another criminal case against her for allegedly “beating up prison guards”, Ponomarenko stressed that she was “in shock” when she saw the forged documents, adding that she had “a right to know” what she was being sent to solitary confinement for.

Ponomarenko announced that she would remain on hunger strike until the prosecutor came to court instead of the substitute prosecutor who was in attendance at her hearing, RusNews said.

In a letter to colleagues, Ponomarenko revealed that she had been sent to solitary confinement until 22 September, though she was forbidden from saying on what grounds due to stricter censorship, according to RusNews.

Ponomarenko was sentenced to six years in prison in February 2023 for “spreading false information” about the Russian military for a Telegram post about the besieged Ukrainian city of Mariupol. RusNews said that Ponomarenko had been suffering from claustrophobia and histrionic personality disorder at the time she was placed in solitary confinement at the pre-trial detention centre where she was awaiting the court’s verdict.