Russian journalist Maria Ponomarenko was sentenced to six years in prison after posting “fake news” of Russian warplanes attacking a theater in Mariupol, Ukraine. Prosecutors stated that the journalist knowingly spread false information about the Russian military. Ponomarenko said, “Had I committed a real crime then it would be possible to ask for leniency, but again, due to my moral and ethical qualities, I would not do this.”
From Reclaim the Net:
Ponomarenko is among the growing list of people that have been sentenced for daring to criticize the invasion of Ukraine. In December, Ilya Yashin, a vocal Kremlin critic, was sentenced to eight-and-a half years for spreading “fake news” over a YouTube video where he condemned the killing of hundreds of Ukrainian civilians in Bucha, an area near Kyiv.
