By The Moscow Times | Created at 2026-10-06 15:40:19 | Updated at 2026-10-06 16:30:52
54 minutes ago
Russian investigators have dropped a criminal case against Lida Moniava, a prominent advocate for critically ill children’s care, after finding no grounds for prosecution, her supporters said Tuesday, citing her lawyer.
Moniava was arrested on Sept. 2 and charged with spreading “false information” about Russia’s military over a social media post about Ukrainian civilians killed in Russian attacks. The charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
Her support group said lawyer Mikhail Biryukov had confirmed the decision and that an official notice closing the case had been sent by mail.
“This is a miracle. But it didn’t happen on its own. You made it happen,” the group wrote, thanking those who attended her court hearing, wrote letters in her defense and publicly supported her.
The group gave special thanks to hospice patients who came to court, some of whom were in wheelchairs or using ventilators.
Moniava is the founder of the Moscow-based charity Lighthouse, which operates hospices for seriously ill children and young adults in the Russian capital and surrounding region.
Her case had prompted an outpouring of support from families whose children had received care from the charity.
After Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Moniava created a foundation that provided shelter, medical supplies and food to people fleeing from the war. The organization also later helped Armenians fleeing from conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh, as well as Russians displaced from the Kursk and Belgorod regions. That foundation suspended operations in 2025 due to the dwindling number of refugees arriving in Moscow and the Moscow region.
Following her Sept. 2 arrest, Moniava announced that she was stepping down as Lighthouse’s director and leaving its board but said she intended to stay in Russia.
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