Maria Ponomarenko, a journalist from Siberia who was jailed for criticizing Russia’s bombing of Ukrainian cities, has begun a hunger strike, her publication reported.
The 46-year-old was detained less than two months after Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine began, after accusing the Russian air force of bombing a theatre in Mariupol.
She was convicted in February last year by a court in her hometown of Barnaul in western Siberia of spreading false information about the Russian military.
Ponomarenko is one of four journalists from RusNews, an online outlet that is published only in Russian and has little readership abroad, currently in prison.
RusNews reported that Ponomarenko had declared a hunger strike but declined to comment further.
Former Moscow city council member Yulia Galyamina said Ponomarenko had been held in solitary confinement on suspicion of prison officials falsifying inspection reports.
That prompted her to declare a hunger strike during Monday’s court hearing.
“Masha’s condition is very bad,” said Galiamina, who affectionately uses her first name.
“She cried a lot (in court) because she felt helpless.”
According to human rights monitor OVD-Info, more than 20,000 people have been arrested across Russia for speaking out against the war.
