A brave Russian lady journalist who disrupted a live broadcast in protest of President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine is reported missing on Tuesday.
A nationwide search is now being conducted to know the whereabouts of Marina Ovsyannikova, an editor at the state television’s flagship Channel 1 who made the bold protest on Monday night.
Sources said after her protest she was immediately arrested by the local police but her lawyer on Tuesday said he cannot anymore contact his client as she suddenly went missing.
Earlier, on Monday night she burst into the newsroom Monday evening, giant sign in hand, shouting “Stop the war,” and “No to war!”
The news anchor attempted to speak over Ovsyannikova’s shouts, but she ultimately failed to successfully drown her out and distract from the large poster.
“Don’t believe the propaganda. They’re lying to you here,” it read in Russian.
It was also signed in English: “Russians against the war.”
The broadcast was cut off in the end, and a pre-recorded statement was played in its stead.
In a tweet, human rights attorney Pavel Chikov revealed his client suddenly went missing after her protest stunt.
“Marina Ovsyannikova has not yet been found. She has been imprisoned for more than 12 hours,” Chikov said.
“The pre-investigation check does not provide grounds for detention and imprisonment,” Chikov added.
Sources said the Russian Investigative Committee, the country’s main government investigative body, has reportedly launched such “a pre-investigation check” into Ovsyannikova, alleging she broke into the news studio.
Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov cited the action of the journalist as a form of “hooliganism” which her network in investigating, and the Kremlin had no hand on it.
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