Russia drops war posts case against children’s hospice founder Moniava

Russian Authorities Drop War-Related Charges Against Lida Moniava

Overview of the Case and Its Implications

Background of the Charges

Oct 6 (Reuters) - Russian investigators have dropped a criminal case against children's hospice founder Lida Moniava after finding her actions did not constitute a crime, her lawyer and a group of supporters said on Tuesday, a rare apparent reversal by authorities enforcing stringent wartime censorship laws.

Moniava was briefly detained in September and charged with deliberately spreading false information about the actions of Russian armed forces against Ukrainian civilians.

Moniava's Response and Charity Work

She denied the charge and was placed under pre-trial restrictions. Her Lighthouse charity continued its work supporting critically ill children and young people in Moscow region.

Support from the Community

In a post on Telegram, a group set up to support her during the case announced what it called a miracle. "We have incredible news — the criminal case against Lida Moniava has been dropped."

It thanked those who had spoken up for Moniava. "Special thanks to the heroic patients from Lighthouse who came to support Lida at the court in wheelchairs and with ventilators," it added.

Legal Outcome and Public Reaction

Her lawyer said investigators had informed him that they had dropped the case, Russian news agencies reported.

Moniava has publicly criticised the 4-1/2-year war in Ukraine on Telegram, calling it a crime that must end.

Context: Wartime Censorship and Prosecutions

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.

(Reporting by Reuters; Writing by Alessandra Prentice; Editing by Alison Williams)