Russia TV protester Marina Ovsyannikova quits channel but turns down France asylum offer
Russia TV protester quits channel but turns down France asylum offer
The Russian journalist, who protested her country’s war in Ukraine during a broadcast on the state-run television, said that she is quitting her job but also declined the asylum offer from France.
Marina Ovsyannikova, who worked for Russia’s Channel 1, help up a sign on live television requesting the nation to believe propaganda – an action that can result in years of jail time.
The sign read - "Stop the war. Don't believe the propaganda. They're lying to you here."
Ovsyannikova was questioned by the Russian authorities for 14 hours and fined 30,000 Rubles ($290) for her actions. According to an AFP report, the Russian Parliament has passed several laws following Russia's invasion of Ukraine that ban the media from using the words "invasion" or "assault" to describe the conflict in Ukraine and prohibit "discrediting" the Russian military.
In an interview with FRANCE24, Ovsyannikova thanked French President Emmanuel Macron’s statement to offer her asylum in France but decided to decline the offer.
"Unfortunately, I won't be able to accept this kind offer because I am a patriot, I want to stay and live in my own country with my family, all my friends are here, and I want to stay in Russia,"
"As I've said, it is the war in Ukraine that really is the point of no return. This was the trigger. People never thought such a thing could happen. On February 24, I stopped sleeping. I lost all sense of direction in my life…and I understood that I couldn't remain silent," Ovsyannikova said.
Ovsyannikova has two children and during the interview, she also said that her young son believes that his mother has “destroyed” their family live following the protest on live television.
"But I explained to him that in life, you have to react and make decisions that are often complicated. And that above all, we must bring an end to this fratricidal war. We must stop this madness before we reach something like nuclear war. So, I think when my son is a bit older, I think he will be able to understand my gesture," she said.