Russian court issues third guilty verdict against journalist Ponomarenko

The Rubtsovsk City Court in Russia's Altai Krai found journalist Maria Ponomarenko guilty of assaulting a prison officer and sentenced her to 1 year and 10 months in prison. This is already the third guilty verdict against the journalist in three years.

Russia's Altai Krai Rubtsovsk City Court found journalist Maria Ponomarenko guilty of using violence against a prison officer and sentenced her to 1 year and 10 months of imprisonment. The court ruling is based on paragraph 321, part 2 of Russia's Criminal Code, which addresses violence against prison staff that does not pose a threat to their life.

Over three years, Ponomarenko has received a third guilty verdict, making her situation extraordinarily severe. Representatives of Russia's independent media have drawn attention to the fact that repeated court cases represent a characteristic pattern used to silence journalists with oppositional views.

Ponomarenko is known in Russia for covering war crimes and events related to the war in Ukraine, which has made her a target of Russian authorities. International press freedom organizations have condemned her case and demanded her immediate release.