TIMELINE: Siberian Journalist Maria Ponomarenko Jailed for 6 Years Over Anti-War Statements
Maria Ponomarenko, a Russian journalist and activist, has been sentenced to six years in prison for speaking out against Russia's war in Ukraine. She was convicted for "spreading false information" after sharing a Telegram post that condemned the Russian bombing of a theater in Mariupol, which resulted in civilian casualties. The mother of two has been imprisoned solely for exercising her right to free expression. While behind bars, she has endured unjust punishment and ill-treatment by prison officers. Women Press Freedom calls for her immediate and unconditional release and warns that her life is at risk due to the harsh conditions she faces in detention.
Prior to her arrest, Maria Ponomarenko worked for RusNews, a publication focused on protests and civil activism. Her journalism has been rooted in political activism, and she gained notoriety in Barnaul for her outspoken stance against the government. Her imprisonment is part of Russia’s broader crackdown on dissent and independent media following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Russia enacted harsh war censorship legislation, making it a criminal offense to protest the war or criticize the military. These laws, aimed at controlling the narrative around the conflict, target those who challenge the state’s propaganda, labeling them as enemies of the state.
Not only is Ponomarenko unjustly jailed for posting truthful information about the Russian military’s actions in Mariupol, she is also facing severe ill-treatment in detention, putting her health and safety in jeopardy. She has been subjected to lengthy solitary confinement, lack of medical care, forced psychiatric treatment, and administration of unknown drugs. These conditions have taken a significant toll on her mental health, leading her to attempt suicide and go on a hunger strike to protest the inhumane treatment by prison authorities.
Women Press Freedom has been closely following Maria’s case since her unjust arrest and has been advocating strongly for her release. The following timeline provides a detailed recap of major events:
2024
August 17
Ponomarenko begins a hunger strike. She is protesting against falsified complaints used by prison authorities to justify placing her in isolation. She says the complaints were forged, including accusations of physical abuse. She has vowed to continue her hunger strike until the prosecutor in her case appears at her next hearing.
February 8
A court in Kemerovo rejects Ponomarenko’s appeal against her verdict and 6 year sentence. Since September, she has spent 40 days in punitive solitary confinement.
2023
December 8
Ponomarenko faces new criminal charges for allegedly attacking prison staff, adding to her existing six-year sentence for disseminating misinformation about the Russian army. Since her detention in April 2022, Ponomarenko has reported mistreatment by prison officials. Her lawyer, Dmitry Chitov, states that the latest charges accuse her of using violence against two detention facility employees, including the head of security. Ponomarenko denies these allegations, asserting that she did not attack anyone.
October 4
The journalist is sent to solitary confinement for fainting and staying in bed during the day, following her complaints about poor prison conditions. The Federal Penitentiary Service (FSIN) punishes her after she raises concerns about unsanitary conditions, low-quality food, and a lack of essential items in Shipunovo prison.
February 15
Leninsky District Court in Barnaul convicts Maria Ponomarenko of disseminating “fake news.” She is sentenced to six years in prison and banned from journalistic activities for five years. She was charged under a military censorship law passed in March 2022 that criminalizes the dissemination of “fake” reports that “discredit the armed forces.”
January 27
Ponomarenko is forced to leave house arrest after being attacked by her ex-husband, according to her lawyer Dmitry Shitov. She reports herself to the Federal Penitentiary Service and asks to be returned to pretrial detention as conditions under house arrest were “unbearable.”
January 10
The court in Barnaul rejects the journalist’s request to be removed from house arrest and placed into pretrial detention. Ponomarenko’s lawyer says his client wants to be transferred to pretrial detention to protest the Russian government's military mobilization.
2022
November 14
Leninsky District Court of Barnaul changes the measure of restraint for Ponomarenko to house arrest. The RusNews journalist is now allowed to return to the apartment of her ex-husband, with whom she has two daughters, to await trial.
September 16
The jailed journalist slits her wrists in a pretrial detention center in Barnaul. Ponomarenko is alive and is receiving medical care, but the court refuses to change her preventive measure.
July 13
Ponomarenko is tortured in a psychiatric hospital in Siberia, where she has been under pretrial detention since April on charges of spreading fake news about the Russian military. In an open letter, she shares her harrowing experience of being forcibly administered unknown substances when she requests her personal belongings.
April 24
RusNews reporter Maria Ponomarenko is arrested for a post she distributed via her “No Censorship” Telegram channel about civilian deaths in Mariupol, Ukraine.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.