Incident
Russia: journalist Maria Ponomarenko is sentenced to six years for reporting on a Mariupol strike
A Russian court sentenced journalist Maria Ponomarenko to six years in prison and a five-year ban on journalism under a law criminalizing "false information" about the military, after she published a Telegram post about an airstrike on a Mariupol theater that Russia denies carrying out.123
What happened
On February 15, 2023, a Russian court sentenced Maria Ponomarenko, a correspondent for the independent news website RusNews, to six years in prison and a five-year ban on journalistic activity, under Russia's law criminalizing the spread of what it calls false information about the armed forces. The charge stemmed from a post Ponomarenko published on a Telegram news channel about an alleged Russian airstrike on a theater in Mariupol, Ukraine, in March 2022, a strike Russian authorities deny having carried out. Ponomarenko had been detained since April 2022. Prosecutors had requested a nine-year sentence before the court imposed six years instead. In her final statement to the court, Ponomarenko said she might have asked for leniency had she committed a real crime, but said she had not.123
Ponomarenko was sentenced to six years in prison; the source reviewed does not report a release.123
What reason was given
Stated justificationPonomarenko was charged under Russia's law criminalizing the spread of "false information" about the armed forces, over her post about the Mariupol theater strike.123
What changed for reporting
A journalist received a six-year prison sentence and a five-year professional ban for a single social media post about a wartime strike that contradicted the government's account of events.123
Timeline
2023
Who acted
| Name | Role in this incident | Office at the time |
|---|---|---|
| Vladimir Putin | other | President of Russia |
Outlets and journalists
| Name | Kind | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| RusNews | outlet | affected |
| Maria Ponomarenko | journalist, RusNews | affected |
Sources
- Russian journalist Maria Ponomarenko sentenced to 6 years in prison
- Russian journalist gets six years for accusing Russia of Ukraine theatre bombing
Claims and evidence
Each numbered claim quotes the source it rests on.
- The court sentenced Ponomarenko to six years in prison and a five-year ban on journalistic activity.
Six years in prison plus a five-year ban on journalistic activities
Russian journalist Maria Ponomarenko sentenced to 6 years in prison, Committee to Protect Journalists, 2023-02-15.Claim 609, checked 2026-09-22. - The charge stemmed from Ponomarenko's Telegram post about an alleged Russian airstrike on a Mariupol theater, which Russia denies.
Ponomarenko published information in a Telegram news channel about an alleged Russian airstrike on a theater in Mariupol, Ukraine, which Russian authorities deny responsibility for.
Russian journalist Maria Ponomarenko sentenced to 6 years in prison, Committee to Protect Journalists, 2023-02-15.Claim 610, checked 2026-09-22. - Ponomarenko told the court she would have asked for leniency only if she had committed a real crime.
she might have asked for leniency if she had committed a real crime, but said she had not
Russian journalist Maria Ponomarenko sentenced to 6 years in prison, Committee to Protect Journalists, 2023-02-15.Claim 611, checked 2026-09-22.