Russian journalist sentenced to 6 years in prison

(Patria) - Russian journalist Maria Ponomarenko has been sentenced to six years in prison for accusing Russian air forces of bombing a theatre in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol last March, where women and children were sheltering.

The Leninsky District Court in the Siberian city of Barnaul also banned Ponomarenko from working as a journalist for five years, according to a statement from the court service.

The state prosecution had sought a nine-year prison sentence, Hina reports.

- Patriotism is love for the homeland, and love for the homeland should not be expressed by inciting crimes. Attacking a neighbor is a crime - Ponomarenko told the court before the verdict was announced.

- If it's war - then call it war. This is a state crime against the army - it's like spitting on the graves of veterans - she said from the cage in the courtroom.

The Donetsk Academic Regional Drama Theatre in Mariupol was destroyed in an airstrike on the morning of March 16, 2022. It was used as a shelter for civilians during the Russian siege of the city.

Kyiv accused Russia of bombing the theatre, while Russia claims it was blown up by Ukrainian nationalists.