Russia drops criminal case against children's hospice founder Lida Moniava
Russian investigators have dropped the criminal case against children's hospice founder Lida Moniava, who had been charged with spreading 'fake news' about the military. Authorities concluded her actions did not constitute a crime.
Russian authorities have abandoned a criminal case against Lida Moniava, founder of the Lighthouse Charity Foundation children's hospice, after concluding that her actions do not amount to a crime.
An investigator informed Moniava's lawyer, Mikhail Biryukov, that the case had been dropped, according to a post on the Telegram channel of her support group.
Moniava had been investigated under a Russian law that bans spreading "fake news" about the country's armed forces. The case was tied to a post she made on her own Telegram channel back in February 2023.
Detention and restrictions
Moniava was detained on September 2 of this year. The following day, a court imposed pretrial restrictions on her, barring her from engaging in certain activities.
Investigators have now determined that her conduct does not constitute a criminal offense, bringing the case to a close.
