(Bloomberg) German media outlet Welt hired Marina Ovsyannikova, the journalist who last month interrupted the most watched news program on Russian television with an anti-war protest in an unusual public criticism of President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine.
Ovsyannikova, 43, will serve as independent correspondent for Welt newspaper and its television channel reporting from Russia and Ukraine, according to a statement released on Monday by parent company Axel Springer SE.
Ovsyannikova was a producer on the Russian state channel Channel One when she interrupted her iconic news program Vremya with a poster demanding an end to the war. She was detained for 14 hours and was fined 30,000 roubles (US $370).
The Kremlin has taken strong measures against the media since the start of the war in February. Virtually every independent media outlet in Russia has been forced to close or move abroad, while authorities banned Facebook and Instagram in an effort to control access to information.
Putin's ally Vyacheslav Volodin, president of the Lower House of Parliament, said Monday in a post on his Telegram channel that it would be “right” to revoke the citizenship of people considered “traitors”, specifically mentioning Ovsyannikova and his new work. The current law does not allow the revocation of citizenship or prohibit entry, he said.
Ovsyannikova, who speaks Russian and English but not German, according to Axel Springer, published an article on Welt's website on Monday stating that he held his protest because “moral principles were more important than well-being, tranquility and an orderly life.”
“The war in Ukraine was a point of no return and silence was no longer an option,” he wrote, adding that he has faced “incredible harassment” on social media, including accusations that he works for Russian or UK intelligence services.
“Everyone is looking for hidden meaning and inventing the most incredible conspiracy theories,” he said. “No one wants to believe it was the emotional protest of a citizen.”
Original Note:
German Media Group Hires Russian Who Interrupted State News (1)
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