Russian court imposes restrictions on children's hospice chief charged over war posts

A Russian court on Thursday ​imposed a measure known as a ​ban on certain ‌actions on ​children's hospice founder Lida Moniava, who is charged with deliberately spreading false information about the actions ‌of Russian armed forces against Ukrainian civilians. The Simonovsky District Court of Moscow imposed the restrictions as a pre-trial measure until October 30, the Moscow courts' press ‌service said on Telegram.

The restrictions are less severe than pre-trial ‌detention but can limit activities such as travel, communications and internet use, depending on the court's ruling. According to the Kommersant newspaper, the court barred Moniava from leaving her home ⁠between ​8 a.m. and ⁠8 p.m., using social media and communicating with witnesses in the case.

Moniava was detained ⁠on Wednesday after Russia's state Investigative Committee said she had been charged with disseminating ​on the Telegram messaging app "knowingly false information presented as credible reports ⁠about actions by the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation against Ukraine's civilian population." The committee ⁠said ​she did not admit guilt during questioning.

The founder of the Lighthouse charity has publicly criticised the 4-1/2 year war in Ukraine on ⁠Telegram, calling it a crime that must end. More than 1,380 people have faced ⁠criminal prosecution ⁠for expressing anti-war views since the full-scale war began, with around 350 currently in prison or pre-trial detention, according to ‌Russian ‌rights group OVD-Info.