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.
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.
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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.