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March 18, 2025 – Ukriane/Russia –
Russian journalist Maria Ponomarenko, known for her outspoken opposition to the war in Ukraine, is reportedly on the brink of suicide after enduring prolonged mistreatment in prison. Ponomarenko, who had been previously sentenced to six years in a penal colony for posting about the bombing of the Mariupol Drama Theatre, has now been handed an additional one year and ten months. The new sentence stems from accusations that she assaulted a prison employee—charges her supporters believe are politically motivated and part of a wider campaign to silence dissent.
The psychological toll of incarceration has pushed Ponomarenko into a dire state. According to sources close to the journalist, including her lawyer and human rights advocates, she has attempted suicide in the past and is again showing severe signs of mental distress. Reports state that she had written about experiencing unbearable conditions, constant pressure from prison authorities, and deliberate attempts to drive her to a mental breakdown.
Her lawyer has warned that she is at “extreme risk” and may not survive the ongoing psychological torment. She has previously been placed in solitary confinement and deprived of medical and psychiatric care, raising further alarm about her fragile mental state. Amnesty International has condemned her treatment, stating that Ponomarenko’s incarceration amounts to psychological torture and is a direct consequence of her exercising her right to free expression.
Human rights organizations, including the Committee to Protect Journalists and Amnesty, have called for her immediate release, asserting that she is being punished for telling the truth about atrocities committed during the war in Ukraine. They also point to a disturbing pattern in Russia’s treatment of imprisoned critics—isolating them, levying new charges, and subjecting them to inhumane conditions.
Maria Ponomarenko’s case is not only a harrowing example of press repression but also a warning signal: dissenting voices in Russia face not just censorship, but a campaign of degradation that can push them to the edge of life itself. Urgent international intervention is being called for to save her life.
Reference –
https://www.amnesty.org.uk/urgent-actions/stop-inhumane-treatment-maria-ponomarenko-prison
