Ukrainian journalist Victoria Roshchyna dies in Russian prison

Ukrainian journalist Victoria Roshchyna dies in Russian prison

The Ukrainian journalist Victoria Roshchyna, which was missing in an area of Russia in her country, died in Russian imprisonment last month, the Ukrainian authorities confirmed at the beginning of this week.

background for arrest

Roshchyna, who was 27 years old, disappeared in August last year during a visit to the rapporteur in an area in Ukraine controlled by Russia. For months, their relatives were unsuspecting about their fate.

Investigations into the cause of death

According to the office of the Ukrainian Attorney General, Russia Roshchyna's family only informed about their arrest in April, months after they were captured. "I have official documents from the Russian side, which confirms the death of the Ukrainian journalist Victoria Roshchyna, who was illegally robbed of her freedom by Russia," said Ukrainian human rights officer Dmytro Lubinets in a message.

alleged circumstances of death

Roshchyna's colleagues reported that they traveled to the area occupied by Russia - a dangerous company for every Ukrainian person - to report on the life of people living under crew. They expressed the conviction that the young journalist was killed by the Russian authorities. "We have every reason to assume that your death was either the result of a deliberate murder or the result of the cruel treatment and violence that she was exposed to in Russian captivity during her time," said a explanation of Ukrainian journalists.

international reactions and further information

The office of the Ukrainian Attorney General has initiated investigations into their death for war crimes in connection with willful murder. Journalist Evgeniya Motorevskaya, who worked with Roshchyna as a former editor of Hromadske, emphasized that the young reporter was determined to do her work as much as possible. "There was nothing more important for her than journalism. Vika was always where the most important events for the country took place. And she would have continued for many years, but the Russians killed her," she said in an explanation on the Hromadske website.

The situation of other Ukrainian journalists

Petro Yatsenko, spokesman for the Ukrainian coordination center for the treatment of prisoners of war, made the difficult situation in an explanation: "About 25 Ukrainian journalists are in Russian captivity, and several others are than missing." The Ukrainian government states that thousands of Ukrainians are arbitrarily captured in Russia. Lubinets, the human rights officer of Ukraine, said in July that 14,000 Ukrainian civilians are in Russian imprisonment, some of them since 2014 when the war in the east of Ukraine began and Russia annexed the Crimea.

Details for arrest and detention conditions

Yatsenko announced that, according to Russian authorities, Roshchyna died from a detention center in the southern Russian city of Taganrog to Moscow during a transfer. This transfer was carried out to prepare your release as part of a prisoner exchange. "Unfortunately we didn't have enough time," he said regretfully.

serious allegations against the prison

Tetyana Katrychenko from the media initiative for human rights, a Ukrainian human rights group, reported that the prison in Taganrog is known for its cruel treatment of prisoners. "Taganrog is one of the most brutal places for Ukrainians in the Russian Federation. It is hell on earth," said Katrychenko, adding that Roshchyna was kept in solitary confinement from at least May to September 2024 in Taganrog. "She was in solitary confinement," she confirmed.

awards and recognition

For her outstanding work, Roshchyna was awarded the Courage in Journalism Award of the International Women’s Media Foundation in 2022. Your contributions appeared in several media, including Ukrayinska Pravda, Hromadske and Radio Free Europe.