At a press conference in Paris, the Russian journalist who was supposed to stand trial due to a protest against the war in Ukraine revealed how she managed to escape to France at the last minute.
Marina Obsiannikova, who became famous at the beginning of the war when she broke into a live broadcast on Russian state television while holding a protest sign against the war in Ukraine and was arrested by the Russian police, called a press conference together with the organization “Reporters Without Borders” and told about the dramatic escape just before she was put on trial in Russia. Shortly after the protest, Obsiannikova was arrested and placed under house arrest while wearing an electronic handcuff.
A few days before she was supposed to appear before the court, last October, Obsianikova managed to escape. “My lawyer told me, ‘Run, run, they’re going to put you in jail,'” Obsianikova said. With the help of the “Journalists Without Borders” organization, Obsiannikova was able to leave her home and change seven vehicles, crossing the border on foot while entering a dark forest thicket.
“I ran away from home with my girl on Friday evening, when all the security forces had finished their work week and were in a state of rest. We thought there was less chance of an immediate pursuit at the weekend. We had to navigate by the stars and it was a real challenge. We hid from the lights of the border guards and the vehicles that were driving around There, but finally we succeeded and reached the border.
Our last vehicle got stuck in the mud, and we had no cell phone reception. We tried to find our way by the stars. It was a very dangerous and stressful escape. At some point I lost hope and thought ‘Why did I do this? Maybe it would have been better to go to jail.
But fortunately, we reached the border where people were waiting for us,” Obsiannikova said. Although she managed to reach Paris, she said that she still fears for her life and knows that she is wanted by the authorities in Moscow. Obsiannikova also claimed that Russian President Putin is endangering the continuation of his rule as the war progresses .
“The elite understand everything perfectly. The people live in the propaganda bubble, but the ruling elite – those who lost their planes, yachts, funds – they understand everything. Once the Ukrainian victory is near, I believe that the ruling establishment will present Putin with an account,” Obsiannikova said.