Russian journalist Marina Ovsyannikova released after brief detained

• Marina Ovsyannikova was detained for “discrediting” the Russian army in favour of opposition leader Ilya Yashin.
• She stormed Channel One’s Vremya (Time) nightly news show with a “No War” placard.

MOSCOW: Marina Ovsyannikova, a Russian journalist who gained fame after interrupting a live TV broadcast to oppose Russia’s military intervention in Ukraine, was released on Monday after a few hours in detention.

“I am at home. Everything is fine,” She overnighted on Facebook.“Now I know it’s better to leave home with my passport and my bag,” she added.

Her lawyer, Dmitri Zakhvatov, said she was jailed for “discrediting” the army in favour of opposition leader Ilya Yashin, who is accused of distributing false information about the army.

After sending troops to Ukraine, Moscow imposed 15-year terms for providing fake military information.

The Russian authorities haven’t opened a criminal investigation against Ovsyannikova.

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Her brief detention came when she held a sign criticising the military action in Ukraine and President Vladimir Putin near the Kremlin.

After she stopped a live TV show to criticise Russia’s military involvement in Ukraine, Ovsyannikova became well-known.

She stormed Channel One’s Vremya (Time) nightly news show with a “No War” placard.

She was arrested, fined, and released.

People praised her for her boldness at a time when Russia is cracking down on alternative voices.

The Russian opposition didn’t welcome her protest. Some detractors said she worked for Pervy Kanal, a Kremlin spokesperson.

In the months after her March protest, Ovsyannikova worked for Die Welt.

She declared in July that she was returning to Russia to settle a custody battle.

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