Maria Ponomarenko

Affiliated media: RusNews, Journalist

Incident date: May 27, 2023

Attack type:

• Non-fatal attack / beating / injury / torture

Who attacked: Authorities

Source: RusNews

Location: Russia, Krasnoyarsk Krai, Krasnoyarsk

Additional information:

In penal colony №22 in the Krasnoyarsk Krai, one of the colony’s employees put pressure on RusNews journalist Maria Ponomarenko, who was sentenced to six years’ imprisonment in the case of military «fakes». When Ponomarenko was transferred from one cell to another, she had to carry all her belongings, including mattresses, which she could not do because of pain in her lower back. When Ponomarenko crossed paths with the «serving second time», the colony officer forbade them to help the journalist. She refused to call a doctor for her. Later, Ponomarenko was examined by a doctor and released from exercising for health reasons. She was diagnosed with chondrosis. The colony officer searched Ponomarenko’s place, scattering personal property, including shaking letters out of envelopes, which made it unclear who had written what to her. She also wrote a false report that Ponomarenko had allegedly swore at her.