Lida Moniava, founder and director of the children's hospice 'House with a Lighthouse,' announced she will step down from her position and leave the organization's board. The statement was published by her friends on Moniava's Telegram channel — a court ruling bars her from using the internet.
Moniava said the investigation into her case will continue for the next couple of months, after which a trial will begin. "I still have a few months of life to finish my affairs and try to organize everything in the 'House with a Lighthouse' so that the hospice can work without me," her statement reads. She expressed hope that her colleagues will be able to keep the hospice running on their own.
Moniava fears the criminal prosecution will affect donations. She asked supporters to continue helping the hospice — with money and volunteer work. The 'House with a Lighthouse' cares for more than a thousand patients, and about 400 people work at the organization.
Despite advice to leave the country, Moniava said she will remain in Russia. She explained her decision by her Christian convictions and her desire to be in the country "in this difficult time." "I understand all the risks, I survived a search at 6 a.m., froze in a gloomy cell, walked around in handcuffs, squatted naked in front of Federal Penitentiary Service officers, shook on a bench in a police van with a vomit bag. Now I live with a bracelet on my leg," the statement says.
Moniava was detained on September 2 on charges of spreading 'fakes' about the Russian army. The reason was a post on her Telegram channel published in February 2023, marking the first anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. It read: "For a year now, my country has been sending missiles, tanks, soldiers to Ukraine. For a year now, innocent people have been dying because of this."
After a night in a temporary detention facility, a court imposed restrictions on Moniava until October 30. She is barred from leaving her home between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m., from communicating with witnesses, and from using the internet. According to Moniava, she was "persuaded for many hours" to plead guilty, but she refused. About 200 people gathered outside the court to support her, including hospice patients and their relatives.