Lida Moniava Charged with Spreading False Information About the Russian Military

Lida Moniava, the founder of the Moscow-based charity "House with a Lighthouse," has been charged with spreading false information about the Russian military motivated by political hatred. The charge, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, follows a police search of her home and questioning by the Investigative Committee. The criminal case stems from a Telegram post Moniava published on February 24, 2023, describing the deaths of Ukrainian civilians and urging readers to donate to a fund for refugees. During questioning, Moniava did not admit guilt. Moniava was previously fined 45,000 rubles in February 2026 for "discrediting" the Russian military in three Telegram posts. Despite the fine and the current charges, Moniava stated she has no plans to leave Russia, as she believes that leaving would result in more critically ill children ending up in nursing homes and intensive care units. Moniava co-founded the hospice with Nyuta Federmesser. She previously worked for the Podari Zhizn foundation and the Vera foundation before establishing her own charity.

Sources

• The Moscow Times
  Children’s Hospice Founder Arrested and Charged Over ‘War Fakes’
• Meduza
  Russia charges a children’s hospice founder with spreading ‘fakes’ about the military over a post condemning the war. She faces up to 10 years in prison.

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Paywall and unreadable sources

• reuters.com
  Russia charges children's hospice chief with spreading false war information
• U.S. News & World Report
  Russian Court Imposes Restrictions on Children's Hospice Chief Charged Over War Posts
• amnesty.org
  Russia: Detention of charity leader Lida Moniava for anti-war social media posts a brazen attack on freedom of expression