Olesya Ovchinnikova, a Russian woman from Krasnodar who was roughly detainment along with her husband in a restaurant for discussing the war in Ukraine, has left Russia. Ovchinnikova told RFE/RL on February 17 that she is currently in Armenia with her daughter. After the couple’s arrest in late January, Ovchinnikova's husband was sentenced to 15 days in jail on hooliganism charges, and she was fined 41,000 rubles ($550). The detainment, during which the couple was forced to lie down on the restaurant's floor handcuffed, sparked an outcry by rights groups and made headlines in Russia. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Caucasus.Realities, click here.
Russian Woman Flees Country Following Harsh Detainment For Discussing Ukraine War
Olesya Ovchinnikova and her husband were detained in a Russian restaurant for simply discussing the war in Ukraine. (file photo)