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Since her protest appearance on Russian television, Marina Ovsyannikova has become known around the world
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DSK / EPA
Russian journalist Marina Ovsyannikova hopes that more Russians will publicly oppose the war in Ukraine.
"These are very dark and very difficult times and anyone who has a civic stance and wants that stance to be heard needs to make their voice heard," Ovzyannikova said in an interview with US television network ABC.
"This is very important."
The Russian journalist held a protest poster against war and lying propaganda into the camera during a live news broadcast on the Perwy Kanal channel on Monday evening.
It read: 'Stop the war.
Don't believe the propaganda.
Here you are being lied to.«
The 43-year-old TV journalist stressed that it was not about Russia's war, but a war by Kremlin boss Vladimir Putin.
"The Russian people are really against the war, this is Putin's war, not the war of the Russian people," Ovzyannikova said.
In the ABC interview, she now said of her action that she wanted to do something with "more impact and that draws more attention" than street protests against the Ukraine war, against which the Russian police are taking massive action.
"I could see what was really happening in Ukraine, and what my station's programs were showing was very different."
A few days ago, Ovsjannikova said in an interview with SPIEGEL that her action was spontaneous.
"I was so charged, angry, I wanted to express that with my protest," said the 43-year-old.
"At that moment I wasn't thinking about such far-reaching consequences, I'm now aware of them." Above all, she worries about the future of her two children.
Ovsyannikova was arrested after her protest and shortly afterwards sentenced to a fine of 30,000 rubles (around 265 euros).
However, her lawyer said after the verdict that the journalist was still threatened with criminal proceedings and a long prison sentence.
France offered the 43-year-old mother asylum, but she refused.
She is a patriot and wants to stay in Russia, said Ovsyannikova again on US television.
At the beginning of March, Putin signed a law providing for draconian prison sentences for "false information" about the Russian army.
In addition, since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Russian authorities have massively restricted access to online media and online networks.
Sep/AFP