The publication RusNews writes that journalist Maria Ponomarenko, who was sentenced to six years in a colony for a case about military “fakes,” and is now being tried for “using violence” against colony staff, has declared a dry hunger strike, how long it has lasted is unknown. “OVD-Info”* reports that during the last court session, Ponomarenko showed her lawyer a suture on the vein at the elbow bend. She explained that she was forced to cut her veins due to constant harassment from the administration.
The editorial office received two letters from Ponomarenko, both very short and alarming. It also became known that at the end of February, during a call with her daughter, Maria asked her for forgiveness for everything and hinted at suicide. The RusNews editorial urgently contacted the journalist's lawyer Dmitry Shitov, and he confirmed that he had filed appeals to the prosecutor's office and the Human Rights Commissioner, both appeals regarding the suicide.
On March 24, Maria is to speak in court with the final word on the second criminal case. She planned to talk about how the staff of the Shipunovo colony is pushing her to suicide.
Journalist RusNews Maria Ponomarenko was sentenced to six years in a colony for “fakes” about the army in February 2023. The reason for the prosecution was a post in a Telegram channel about the strike on the drama theater in Mariupol.
In November 2023, a second criminal case was initiated against Ponomarenko, accusing her of attacking two colony staff members. The journalist was repeatedly sent to the punishment cell, in early February, serving 15 days, she learned that from March 6 she would be sent to the punishment cell again, meaning the total duration of her stay there would be 30 days. This was a punishment for Ponomarenko throwing a plate at the wall.
* Recognized in Russia as a “foreign agent.”
Photo: Kommersant