Marina Ovsyannikova: Part 1

Brut America

Episode 1: The journalist who protested the war    She crashed a Russian broadcast on live TV to protest the war. Then, she was told to flee Russia. This is the story of journalist Marina Ovsyannikova, in two parts.

Transcript

00:00She protested the war in Ukraine live on Russian state television

00:03before fleeing her country and seeking asylum in France to avoid prison time.

00:08This is the story of journalist Marina Ovsanikova.

00:30On March 14, 2022, a few days after Russia invaded Ukraine,

00:40a journalist burst onto the set of the most popular Russian news channel

00:44and interrupts the live news broadcast.

00:52Her poster reads, say no to the war. Don't believe the propaganda.

00:56They're lying to you here. Russians against the war.

01:00I knew very well that what we were doing was not real journalism.

01:06I knew that Russian media were manipulating public consciousness and lying for a long time.

01:15She was a woman who took part in Russian propaganda.

01:21She worked for a channel, Pervikanal, the first Russian private channel,

01:25which served the interests of the Kremlin.

01:28She was part of that system.

01:30You need a moral force to shift like that.

01:32The protest lasted for many years.

01:35I was born in Ukraine and my father is Ukrainian.

01:40She was born in Odessa. The tragedy in Ukraine echoed in her.

01:47And also as a child, I experienced a traumatic experience.

01:51I was a refugee. My house was destroyed during the First Chechen War.

01:57We've just arrived here about a thousand yards away from the presidential palace.

02:00This is undoubtedly the heaviest fighting in this city since the invasion started three weeks ago.

02:08The central square was strewn with the wreckage of Russian tanks and the bodies of soldiers.

02:27Everything is fine.

02:29Everything is fine.

02:39I was preparing for this protest for a few days.

02:41I drew this poster in my kitchen.

02:45I recorded a video message.

02:47What is happening now in Ukraine is a crime.

02:50And Russia is an aggressor country.

02:51And the responsibility for this aggression lies in the conscience of only one person.

02:54This person is Vladimir Putin.

02:56It was Sunday.

02:58On Monday, I went to work.

03:00And on the first working day,

03:02I had a huge determination to do this.

03:05We discussed cooperation within the Union State.

03:07And at the meeting in the government, we discussed...

03:19These were really very difficult days in my life.

03:25Because I spent literally two days without sleep.

03:27The interrogation lasted more than 14 hours.

03:29Because today I just need to rest.

03:35Oksana Krova is fine,

03:37but still risks being prosecuted and facing a stiff prison sentence.

03:43France condemns very firmly all imprisonment of journalists.

03:47We are going to launch diplomatic measures to offer protection.

03:51A few days later,

03:54I sent her a message.

03:56Can we support you?

03:58At that moment, she did not respond.

04:00I expected to be arrested.

04:02At that moment, I was ready to spend a few years in prison

04:04in order to say,

04:06but the king is naked.

04:08The Russian people

04:10will always be able to distinguish true patriots

04:12from scoundrels and traitors.

04:14And they will just spit them out,

04:16like a fly into the mouth of a fly.

04:18They will spit on the panel.

04:20She contacted us again in September.

04:22In September 2022,

04:24saying,

04:26I need help.

04:28I want to leave Russia.

04:30You know, I understood.

04:32The lawyer said, run away,

04:34because there were 9 days left before the trial.

04:36And after 9 days, I could end up in prison.

04:38We thought about it.

04:40We told her, we will help you.

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