Russia charges children's hospice chief with spreading false war information

Since invading Ukraine in February 2022, Russia has intensified its crackdown on dissent and introduced laws prescribing long prison terms for those found guilty of "discrediting" the military.

Russian investigators said on Wednesday they had detained children's hospice founder Lida Moniava and charged her with deliberately spreading false information about the actions of Russian armed forces against Ukrainian civilians.

Moniava, a well-known advocate in Russia for critically ill children, has publicly criticized the four-and-a-half-year war in Ukraine on the Telegram messaging app, calling it a crime that must end.

In a statement, Russia's state Investigative Committee said Moniava had been charged with disseminating on Telegram "knowingly false information presented as credible reports about actions by the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation against Ukraine's civilian population."

It said she had not admitted guilt during questioning.

Moniava's Lighthouse charity, which provides hospice care for children and young adults in Moscow and the surrounding region, said it was waiting for news about its founder.

"We will continue operating as usual ... At the moment, we have no further information," it said in response to a request for comment.

Russia cracks down on alleged 'false information'

Since invading Ukraine in February 2022, Russia has intensified its crackdown on dissent and introduced laws prescribing long prison terms for those found guilty of "discrediting" the military or deliberately spreading false information about it.

Moniava was fined earlier in 2026 for allegedly discrediting the army. At the time, she said she could not leave the country to escape the threat of further prosecution, because if she did "more children needing palliative care (would) end up lying in institutions and intensive care units."

"But I also cannot stay silent, as if there were no war," she said on Telegram.

Over 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.