Children’s Hospice Founder Arrested and Charged Over ‘War Fakes’

Lida Moniava, the founder of the children's hospice charity "Lighthouse" in Moscow, has been arrested and charged with spreading false information about the military. According to her attorney, Moniava was questioned by officials from Russia's Investigative Committee following a police search of her home. The charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.

Moniava is the founder of "Lighthouse," a charity that provides hospice care for critically ill children and young adults in Moscow and the surrounding region. After Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Moniava established a foundation that provided shelter, medical supplies, and food to refugees fleeing the war. The foundation later helped Armenians fleeing conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh and Russians displaced from the Kursk and Belgorod regions.

However, the foundation suspended operations last September due to a dwindling number of refugees arriving in Moscow. Moniava has a history of legal troubles, having been detained in January and February and fined 45,000 rubles for allegedly "discrediting" the Russian military on Telegram. Despite facing pressure from authorities, Moniava has refused to leave Russia, stating that she believes leaving would result in critically ill children spending longer periods in nursing homes and intensive care units.