MOSCOW: A Russian editor who protested against Moscow’s military action in Ukraine during a prime-time news broadcast on state TV was released with a fine Tuesday after an international outcry over her detention.
Marina Ovsyannikova, an editor at Channel One television, barged onto the set of its flagship Vremya (Time) evening news late Monday, holding a poster reading “No War” in English.
The mother of two still risks criminal charges with a penalty of up to 15 years in jail, one of her lawyers said.
Ovsyannikova’s case drew international attention and raised new alarm over press freedom in Russia in the wake of President Vladimir Putin’s decision to send troops to pro-Western Ukraine.
On Tuesday, French President Emmanuel Macron offered asylum or other forms of consular protection to the journalist.
After her protest she was detained and questioned for 14 hours, she told reporters on Tuesday.
She was released after a judge at Moscow’s Ostankino district court ordered her to pay a fine of 30,000 rubles ($280) on Tuesday.
She could have faced a maximum punishment of 10 days in detention for calling for illegal protests.
This charge was based not specifically on her interruption of the news broadcast, but on a video statement she released explaining the reasons for her protest and urging Russians to take to the streets.
Ovsyannikova pleaded not guilty in court, saying: “I am still convinced that Russia is committing a crime.”
“These are very difficult days in my life,” she said after the ruling.
“I’ve spent two days literally without sleep.”
One of Ovsyannikova’s lawyers, Daniil Berman, told AFP she also risked criminal charges and up to 15 years in jail under new legislation against “fake news” on the Russian military, introduced after Putin sent troops into Ukraine on February 24.
Macron, who has maintained a dialogue with Putin despite Moscow’s military action, said he would bring up her case during his next conversation with the 69-year-old Russian leader.
“We will launch diplomatic efforts aiming to offer (her) protection — either at the embassy but also protection through asylum,” said Macron.
“I will have the chance at my next talks with President Putin to propose this solution in a very direct and concrete manner,” he added.
Channel One said an internal investigation was underway. It was a highly unusual event in Russia where state media is strictly controlled.
“I want to have as quickly as possible all clarity about her personal situation and her ability to continue with her work,” Macron said.
EU Commission external affairs spokesman Peter Stano said she took a “brave moral stance and dared to object Kremlin’s lies and propaganda live on air on a state-controlled TV channel.”
The incident was widely picked up by international media, while Russian publications blurred out the message on the poster to avoid running afoul of a new media law.
Thousands of people posted tributes on social media to Ovsyannikova’s “extraordinary courage” amid a historic crackdown on the opposition in Russia.
Press freedom activists outside Russia accuse state television of painting a severely distorted picture of Moscow’s military action in a bid to maintain popular support.
Ovsyannikova’s message in Russian read: “Stop the war. Don’t believe propaganda. They are lying to you here.”
It was signed in English: “Russians against the war.”
Ovsyannikova managed to say a few phrases in Russian, including “Stop the war!,” while news anchor Yekaterina Andreyeva tried to drown her out by speaking louder before the channel switched hastily to footage of a hospital.
In a video posted on social media, Ovsyannikova speaking before her action says she is “ashamed” to have been involved in “Kremlin propaganda” and describes Moscow’s military action as a “crime.”
“I’m ashamed I allowed Russian people to be zombified,” she added.
Her action won praise from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who said: “I am grateful to those Russians who do not stop trying to tell the truth and specifically to the lady who entered the studio of Channel One with a poster against the war.”
Russian court fines TV protester amid outcry
https://arab.news/67f83
Russian court fines TV protester amid outcry
- Marina Ovsyannikova, an editor at Channel One television, barged onto the set of its flagship Vremya (Time) evening news late Monday, holding a poster reading “No War” in English
- After her protest she was detained and questioned for 14 hours then was released after a Moscow court judge fined her $280 on Tuesday
IMI media group rebrands with new name, logo and strategic shift
- Group CEO Rani R. Raad says rebranding is a ‘monumental milestone’
LONDON: The media group formerly known as International Media Investments has rebranded itself as “IMI” as part of an ongoing overhaul that includes a new logo and a refocused brand identity, the company announced on Tuesday.
The UAE-based company, which owns news outlets including Sky News Arabia, The National, Al-Ain News, and CNN Business Arabic, said the rebranding reflects its commitment to “connect people, enrich lives, and foster greater understanding.”
The media conglomerate, a subsidiary of the Abu Dhabi Media Investment Corporation, also operates IMI Studios and IMI Live, as well as an investment division, IMI Ventures.
IMI’s CEO Rani R. Raad, who is also president and operating partner of Redbird IMI, described the rebranding as a “monumental milestone” that aligns with its broader ambitions in media.
“It is not just about aesthetics; it embodies a forward-looking mindset as we prepare to move to our new state-of-the-art headquarters on Yas Island,” he said.
The media group said that its rebranding highlights the “power of connection,” aiming to reinforce IMI’s “commitment to creating content and telling stories that connect people, enrich lives, and foster greater understanding”.
The company added that the new logo encapsulates IMI’s expanding portfolio and more accurately reflects “IMI’s long-term goal of reshaping the media landscape to bridge gaps.”
IMI, which is associated with Abu Dhabi royal Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, has been in the headlines recently over its December 2023 acquisition of the UK’s Telegraph Group, including The Daily Telegraph and The Spectator.
However, the British government blocked the purchase, citing a law restricting media ownership by interests linked to foreign governments. IMI was subsequently required to divest the assets.
Moroccan court sentences journalist to 18 months in jail for defamation
- Hamid Mahdaoui was also fined $150,000 for allegedly defaming the justice minister
RABAT: Moroccan journalist Hamid Mahdaoui said he was sentenced on Monday to 18 months in prison on a charge of defamation against justice minister Abdellatif Ouahbi.
Mahdaoui, who is also editor-in-chief of news website Badil.info and an outspoken critic of government policies, was also fined 1.5 million dirhams ($150,000) by the court of first instance in Rabat.
Mahdaoui was sued after he accused Ouahbi of fraud, among other allegations, in a video on his website. Ouahbi has denied the accusations.
“I am innocent … I did not expect this prison sentence,” Mahdaoui told Reuters, adding that he was still undecided whether to appeal against the verdict to a higher court.
“I already presented all my arguments in my defense at court,” he said.
The justice minister was not immediately available for comment after the verdict.
Mahdaoui was sentenced under the penal code, instead of the press code which does not include jail terms, said Khadija Riadi of the Moroccan human rights group AMDH.
Mahdaoui was released in July 2020, after spending three years in jail on the charge of not reporting a crime against state security.
Jailed Swedish-Eritrean journalist wins rights prize
- Dawit Isaak has been held incommunicado without charge in Eritrea for more than 23 years
STOCKHOLM: A Swedish-Eritrean journalist held incommunicado without charge in Eritrea for more than 23 years won a Swedish rights prize on Monday for his fight for freedom of expression, the jury said.
Dawit Isaak was among a group of around two dozen people, including senior cabinet ministers, members of parliament and independent journalists, who were seized in a purge in September 2001.
He was awarded the Edelstam Prize “for his outstanding contribution and exceptional courage in standing up for freedom of expression, one’s beliefs, and in the defense of human rights,” the Edelstam Foundation said in a statement.
Amnesty International considers Isaak a prisoner of conscience, and press freedom group Reporters Without Borders (RSF) says he and his colleagues detained at the same time are the longest-held journalists in the world.
UN rights experts have demanded Asmara immediately release him.
Eritrea has provided no news about him, and there are fears he may no longer even be alive. He would be 60 years old.
His daughter Betlehem Isaak will accept the award on his behalf in Stockholm on November 19.
Isaak fled to Sweden in 1987 during Eritrea’s struggle against Ethiopia which eventually led to independence in 1993.
After obtaining Swedish citizenship, he returned to Eritrea in 2001 to help shape the media landscape, and co-founded Setit, the country’s first independent newspaper.
He was arrested shortly after the paper published articles demanding political reforms.
Asmara has not provided any information about his whereabouts or health over the years, which UN experts in 2021 deemed “extremely concerning.”
But they said a credible source had indicated Isaak was still alive in September 2020.
The Edelstam Prize is awarded in memory of Swedish diplomat Harald Edelstam, who as ambassador to Chile at the time of Augusto Pinochet’s 1973 military coup granted thousands of Chileans and other Latin Americans safe conduct to, and political asylum in, Sweden.
Arab News celebrates double win at WAN-IFRA Asian Media Awards 2024
- ‘Why Riyadh? Saudi Arabia’s Expo 2030’ scooped the top prize for Best Newspaper Infographic while ‘The Fast Track to Makkah’ won Best Newspaper Infographic
LONDON: Arab News marked a double win at the prestigious Asian Media Awards 2024, organized by the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers, also known as WAN-IFRA.
The Riyadh-based newspaper won top honors for Best Newspaper Front Page Design and Best Newspaper Infographics at the highly competitive event, which featured 251 entries from 42 media organizations across 13 countries.
Arab News secured the Best Newspaper Front Page Design award for its feature, “Why Riyadh? Saudi Arabia’s Expo 2030,” a special issue dedicated to Riyadh’s successful bid to host the World Expo in 2030.
The Best Newspaper Infographic award went to “The Fast Track to Makkah,” showcasing a detailed infographic on the Haramain high-speed rail and Mashaer train, which connects the holy cities of Madinah and Makkah. This graphic was a centerpiece of Arab News’ special Hajj 2023 coverage, lauded for its clarity and creativity in explaining the Kingdom’s 450-km rail network.
WAN-IFRA, founded in 1948 as the Federation Internationale des Editeurs de Journaux et Publications, represents over 18,000 publications globally, promoting publishing standards in design, infographics, editorial, marketing, community service, and photojournalism.
Now in its 23rd year, the awards ceremony took place at Mount Faber Peak, Singapore, with other leading participants including SPH Media, South China Morning Post, Japan Times, and Kumparan.
With these new accolades, Arab News has now won 145 awards under the leadership of Editor-in-Chief Faisal J. Abbas, who has steered the publication’s transformation to a digital-first platform since 2016.
Past recognition encompasses a range of special projects, including multiple international awards for “Saudi’s Animal Kingdom,” “The Kingdom vs. Captagon” deep dive, and the “FIFA Qatar World Cup 2022” special edition.
For more information about Arab News and its award-winning projects, visit arabnews.com/greatesthits.
Iran aware of reports about Iranian-American journalist’s arrest, ministry says
- Iran does not recognize second nationalities and treats dual nationals solely as Iranian
DUBAI: Iran’s foreign ministry is aware of reports about the arrest of Iranian-American journalist Reza Valizadeh in Iran, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said on Monday.
Earlier this month, the Associated Press reported that Reza Valizadeh, an Iranian-American journalist who once worked for a US government-funded broadcaster, was believed to have been detained by Iran for some months.
“We are aware of reports regarding the arrest of one Iranian national, he is an Iranian national and I do not have information on his second citizenship. We are in contact with relevant institutions to follow up on the case,” Baghaei said when asked about Valizadeh in a press conference.
Iran does not recognize second nationalities and treats dual nationals solely as Iranians.
The US State Department had earlier acknowledged the imprisonment of Valizadeh, who previously worked for Radio Farda, an outlet under Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty that is overseen by the US Agency for Global Media.
