Siberian Journalist's Hunger Strike Against War Sparks Outcry

Maria Ponomarenko, a Siberian journalist, has declared a hunger strike while serving a six-year sentence for speaking against the war in Ukraine. Accused of spreading false information about the Russian military, she faces further charges for allegedly attacking prison guards. Her condition is reportedly dire.

Maria Ponomarenko, a journalist from Siberia now serving a six-year prison term for her anti-war stance on Ukraine, has initiated a hunger strike, sources from her publication confirm. Detained shortly after Russia's 2022 invasion, Ponomarenko accused the Russian air force of bombing a theater in Mariupol, Ukraine.

Convicted last February for distributing false information about the Russian military, she is part of the over 20,000 Russians arrested for opposing the war, says rights monitor OVD-Info. Independent journalists like Ponomarenko often face harsher penalties. Of RusNews' four jailed reporters, Ponomarenko confronts new charges for allegedly assaulting prison guards, her supporters report.

Yulia Galyamina, a former Moscow city councillor, advocates for Ponomarenko, who reportedly faces severe isolation and dire health. Galyamina, accused of 'foreign agent' status herself, has been in regular contact with Ponomarenko. The journalist was previously diagnosed with 'hysterical personality disorder' and has threatened self-harm to protest her conditions.

(With inputs from agencies.)