Russia arrests children’s hospice director over army criticism
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Ukrainian rescuers working at the site of a Russian drone strike on warehouses near Kyiv, on Sept 2.
PHOTO: EPA
LONDON - Russian police on Sept 2 arrested the head of a children’s hospice on suspicion of spreading “false information” about the army, her lawyer told AFP, as Moscow cracks down on critics of its Ukraine offensive.
Lida Moniava, 38, is the founder and director of a Moscow-based charity that provides end-of-life care to children and young adults.
Her arrest stems from a Telegram post she made in 2023 marking the first-year anniversary of the war, in which she alluded to UN data showing thousands of civilian casualties, her lawyer Mikhail Biryukov said.
Prosecutors accuse her of having been “motivated by political hatred”, Biryukov told AFP.
She faces up to 10 years in prison if found guilty.
Russia’s Investigative Committee, which prosecutes serious crimes, announced she had been charged with “knowingly spreading false information regarding the use of the Russian Armed Forces”.
“Moniava has been detained. During questioning, she did not admit guilt regarding the alleged offence,” it said.
Since Moscow launched its offensive in February 2022, Russian police have detained thousands of people for speaking out against the war – Europe’s deadliest since World War II.
Prosecutors often accuse those publishing criticisms of the Russian army of spreading “fake news”.
Russia’s media regulator has ordered domestic news outlets to use only “official Russian sources” when reporting on the conflict, limiting them to information provided by the Russian defence ministry. AFP
