Russia's 'beacon' for sick children, facing jail for pro-peace message

Lida Moniava is a 38-year-old charity leader in Russia who has dedicated her life to helping sick and disabled children. Since 2022, she has also been assisting Ukrainian refugees and criticizing the war, which has become Europe's biggest conflict since World War II. In 2023, she was arrested and charged with spreading false information about the Russian army after posting on Telegram about UN statistics on civilian casualties and calling for support for Ukrainian refugees.

Moniava faces up to years in prison, making her case even more shocking in the midst of an escalating crackdown on critics of the war. She and her foundation, the House with the Lighthouse, have raised over 1.2 billion rubles to provide essential services to children in need. Despite the risks, Moniava refuses to leave Russia and continues her daily work as a beacon of hope for those in need.