Maria Ponomarenko

Affiliated media: RusNews, Journalist

Incident date: March 24, 2023

Attack type:

• Non-fatal attack / beating / injury / torture

Who attacked: Authorities

Source: Mediazona

Location: Russia, Altai krai, Biysk

Additional information:

RusNews journalist Maria Ponomarenko was placed in a mental hospital for three days after she was transferred to the detention center in Biysk. After her transfer to the detention center, the officers took away some food items from her parcel and asked her to undress. After that, Ponomarenko had a nervous breakdown. The law enforcers called a team of paramedics who beat the journalist. «They hit me on the back, chest, stomach, and head and threw me against the stairs», — Ponomarenko said. In the hospital itself, force was also used on her: "In the first 24 hours, for not finishing her cocoa on time, the orderly Maksim hit her on the cheeks, stomach, and chest.