Maria Ponomarenko

In this name that follows East Slavic naming customs, the patronymic is Nikolayevna and the family name is Ponomarenko.
Maria Ponomarenko
Мария Пономаренко
Born (1978-09-05) 5 September 1978
Barnaul, Altai Krai, Russian SSR, USSR
CitizenshipRussia
OccupationJournalist
EmployerRusNews
Known forReporting on the Mariupol theatre airstrike
Criminal chargesDiscrediting the Russian Armed Forces
Criminal penalty6 years imprisonment
Criminal statusDetained

Maria Nikolayevna Ponomarenko (Russian: Мария Николаевна Пономаренко; born 5 September 1978) is a Russian journalist and human rights activist. In 2023, she was sentenced to six years in prison for her reporting on the Mariupol theatre airstrike.[1]

Biography

Ponomarenko was born and raised in Barnaul, Altai Krai, in what was then the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic within the Soviet Union. [2][3]

Ponomarenko worked as a journalist for the Siberian branch of the Russian outlet RusNews, which published stories on Telegram.[4][5] In March 2022, she published a story on RusNews' Tsenzury net (lit. 'No Censorship') channel about citizens of Mariupol, Ukraine, who had been killed when the Russian Armed Forces bombed the Donetsk Academic Regional Drama Theatre on 16 March, as well as those injured.[4][6] The attack had been described as a war crime by Amnesty International.[7]

In April 2022, Ponomarenko was arrested by Russian authorities, who accused her of "discrediting the Russian Armed Forces" in her article which was described as including untrue information about the airstrike. She was held in pre-trial detention until November 2022, when she was released under house arrest.[8] In January 2023, Ponomarenko was placed back in pre-trial detention after running away from her home which was stated due to her being forced to live at the same address as her abusive ex-husband.[9] Ponomarenko stated that she had attempted suicide in September 2022 while detained.[8][5]

On 15 February 2023, Ponomarenko was sentenced to six years' imprisonment by the Leninsky Court in Barnaul.[1] In her final statement, Ponomarenko had criticised the use of military censorship against her when the Russian government stated that the conflict in Ukraine was not a war but a special operation. She also criticised the use of V and Z symbols as representative of a totalitarian regime, and stating that "a totalitarian regime is always at its strongest just before it falls".[10][11][12]

On 15 May 2023, Ponomarenko was transferred to Penal Camp No. 22 in Krasnoyarsk.[13]

In 2024, Ponomarenko went on hunger strike over prison conditions, requiring hospitalisation after 149 days.[8][14][15] In 2025, she was sentenced to an additional year and ten months' imprisonment after allegedly assaulting two prison guards, a charge she denied.[2][16] During the trial, Ponomarenko criticised Vladimir Putin and stated she was not proud of her country, comparing it to an alcoholic mother.[17]

Response

Ponomarenko's arrest and imprisonment was criticised by various human rights organisations, including PEN International and Amnesty International which called for her release, citing article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, as well as the Constitution of Russia.[18][19][20] Amnesty International described her as a prisoner of conscience; an appeal against her detention was led by the human rights group Memorial.[21][22]

In 2023, Ponomarenko was awarded the 2023 Boris Nemtsov Prize.[23]

References

  1. ^ a b Kirby, Paul (2023-02-15). "Russian journalist Maria Ponomarenko jailed for highlighting Mariupol killings". BBC News. Archived from the original on 2025-09-29. Retrieved 2025-10-04.
  2. ^ a b "Пономаренко Мария Николаевна". Memorial PZK (in Russian). Archived from the original on 2025-10-01. Retrieved 2025-10-04.
  3. ^ "Арестованную по делу о «фейках» журналистку RusNews отправили в карцер". OVD-Info (in Russian). 2022-09-16. Archived from the original on 2025-06-07. Retrieved 2025-10-04.
  4. ^ a b "Журналістку, яка написала про удар РФ по театру в Маріуполі, засудили до 6 років за ґратами". Radio Svoboda (in Ukrainian). 2023-02-15. Archived from the original on 2025-07-11. Retrieved 2025-10-04.
  5. ^ a b "Siberian journalist Maria Ponomarenko sentenced to six years on 'disinformation' charges for posts about Russia's Mariupol theater strike". Meduza. 2023-02-15. Archived from the original on 2025-05-05. Retrieved 2025-10-04.
  6. ^ Roth, Andrew (2023-10-19). "Russian-American journalist detained in Russia for violating foreign agents law". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 2025-08-24. Retrieved 2025-10-04.
  7. ^ Mac Coille, Cathal (2023-02-18). "Bliain de bhréaga, den chinedhíothú agus de mhórbhagairt na Rúise". Tuairisc (in Irish). Archived from the original on 2025-07-18. Retrieved 2025-10-04.
  8. ^ a b c Puente, David (2025-03-27). "Russia, la giornalista Maria Ponomarenko di nuovo condannata dopo il tentato suicidio in carcere". Open (in Italian). Archived from the original on 2025-09-17. Retrieved 2025-10-04.
  9. ^ "Russia: Maria Ponomarenko detained after fleeing house arrest due to domestic abuse — CFWIJ calls on authorities to ensure her safety". Coalition for Women in Journalism. 2023-02-15. Archived from the original on 2025-04-10. Retrieved 2025-10-04.
  10. ^ "У рф журналістці дали шість років за «фейки» після посту про авіаудар по драмтеатру Маріуполя". Ukrinform (in Ukrainian). 2023-02-15. Archived from the original on 2024-12-11. Retrieved 2025-10-04.
  11. ^ Luzan, Olha (2023-02-15). "Журналістці Пономаренко в Росії дали шість років за пост про авіаудар по драмтеатру в Маріуполі". Tsensor.NET (in Ukrainian). Archived from the original on 2023-06-07. Retrieved 2025-10-04.
  12. ^ "Rysk journalist döms till fängelse: "Gör något, håll dig inte tyst"". SVT Nyheter (in Swedish). 2023-02-16. Archived from the original on 2023-03-15. Retrieved 2025-10-04.
  13. ^ Bota, Alice; Lobenstein, Caterina; Thumann, Michael (2023-07-30). "Politische Gefangene in Russland: "Sogar in diesem Käfig liebe ich mein Land"". Die Zeit (in German). ISSN 0044-2070. Retrieved 2025-10-04.
  14. ^ "Jailed Russian Anti-War Journalist Starts Hunger Strike". RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty. 2024-09-16. Archived from the original on 2025-07-08. Retrieved 2025-10-04.
  15. ^ "Jailed Reporter Ponomarenko Launches Second Hunger Strike Over Prison Conditions". The Moscow Times. 2025-04-17. Archived from the original on 2025-09-19. Retrieved 2025-10-04.
  16. ^ "Russia: estesa la condanna alla giornalista Maria Ponomarenko". Amnesty International Italia (in Italian). 2025-03-27. Archived from the original on 2025-07-10. Retrieved 2025-10-04.
  17. ^ "Journalist Ponomarenko's Last Word in Court: 'I've Never Seen as Much Violence as I Have in Jail'". The Moscow Times. 2025-03-24. Archived from the original on 2025-07-10. Retrieved 2025-10-04.
  18. ^ "Solidarity for Russian journalist Maria Ponomarenko". Amnesty International. Archived from the original on 2025-09-23. Retrieved 2025-10-04.
  19. ^ "Maria Ponomarenko". PEN America. Archived from the original on 2025-05-17. Retrieved 2025-10-04.
  20. ^ "Libertà per una giornalista russa". Amnesty International Italia (in Italian). Archived from the original on 2025-06-24. Retrieved 2025-10-04.
  21. ^ Boffey, Daniel (2024-09-20). "Russian prisoner freed in swap urges UK not to let hundreds more 'die off'". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 2025-06-08. Retrieved 2025-10-04.
  22. ^ "Всеволоду Королеву суд в апелляции ужесточил приговор". Bumaga (in Russian). 2024-07-02. Archived from the original on 2025-04-14. Retrieved 2025-10-04.
  23. ^ "Siberian Journalist Ponomarenko Leads Anti-War Group Receiving 2023 Nemtsov Award". RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty. 2023-06-23. Archived from the original on 2025-08-08. Retrieved 2025-10-04.


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