Siberian Journalist Declares Hunger Strike Against Jail Conditions

Journalist Maria Ponomarenko, imprisoned in Siberia for her anti-war stance on Ukraine, has declared a hunger strike over alleged mistreatment and new criminal charges. Ponomarenko, serving a six-year sentence, faces severe conditions and has threatened suicide. Independent journalists in Russia endure harsh penalties for dissent.

Maria Ponomarenko, a Siberian journalist serving a six-year prison sentence for her outspoken stance against the war in Ukraine, has initiated a hunger strike, her publication and a supporter revealed.

The 46-year-old was detained shortly after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022 for accusing the Russian air force of bombing a theatre in Mariupol. Last February, a court in Barnaul, western Siberia, found her guilty of spreading false information about the Russian military.

Rights monitor OVD-Info states that over 20,000 people have been arrested across Russia for anti-war protests. While most are fined and released, independent journalists often face harsher punishments. Including Ponomarenko, four RusNews journalists are currently imprisoned. The majority of independent media now operate from exile.

RusNews reports that Ponomarenko now faces new charges for allegedly assaulting prison guards and has been placed in an isolation cell, leading her to declare a hunger strike. Yulia Galyamina, speaking from Barnaul, described Ponomarenko's dire condition and expressed fears for her safety, citing threats of suicide.

(With inputs from agencies.)