Russia: Irina Danilovich Abducted In Crimea, Home Raided By Unidentified Men Alleging She Leaked Classified Information
Location: Russia, Vladyslavivka
Date: May 6, 2022
Human rights defender and citizen journalist Irina Danilovich was abducted seemingly by the authorities while returning home from work last month in Russian-occupied Crimea. Shortly after she went missing, at least unidentified men reached her family home in unmarked cars and conducted a search. The raid party told Irina’s family that the journalist is being detained for 10 days on allegations of sending information to a foreign country. No charges were disclosed. The Coalition For Women In Journalism calls on the Russian authorities in Crimea to immediately disclose the details of Irina’s detention and ensure her safe release.
Irina went missing on the morning of April 29, while returning home from work in Koktebel to her home in the village of Vladyslavivka. On the same day, Irina’s house was raided by six unidentified men, according to her parents. The raid party seized electronic devices, including mobile phones and laptops, books and some documents after conducting a thorough search of the premises. The news reports stated that she was taken into custody for 10 days over an administrative order.
Irina’s father Bronislav Danilovich reportedly stated that the men raiding their home did not provide any identification, search warrant or inventory of seized property. They simply told the family that the journalist was being detained on allegations of sending information to a foreign country without disclosing any charges.
Some news outlets reported that Irina was detained by law enforcement officials. According to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), Irina’s lawyer Ayder Azamatov lawyer was not able to reach the journalist. Her parents were not informed of her whereabouts either.
On May 2, Irina’s family filed a report with the Crimean prosecutor about Irina’s disappearance. Her lawyer also wrote an appeal to the Russian Prosecutor's Office of Crimea seeking details of her apparent state abduction or alleged detention. “We hope that the police and prosecutors will at least clarify the situation, disclose her whereabouts and the reason she is [being] kept in custody,” Ayder Azamatov told RFE/RL.
Irina worked in healthcare as a nurse and participated in a medical trade union movement. After the local organization of the Alliance of Doctors, a trade union in Crimea launched in Feodosia, defending doctors' Covid-19 conditions and payments, Irina and her colleagues were threatened with a termination of their job and intimidated.
Irina’s father told the Committee to Protect Journalists that he suspects she may have been detained in connection with her social media posts about Russian troop movements. Though these claims could not be independently verified, the CPJ did find screenshots of Irina’s recent posts on Facebook (Meta) regarding Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta’s decision to suspend publication and Ukrainian armed forces’ claims about Russian losses during the invasion.
The CFWIJ could not independently verify this information as the journalist’s Facebook account has been set to private.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism is extremely concerned for Irina Danilovich safety. We call on the Russian authorities to immediately confirm the nature of Irina’s disappearance, disclose details of the allegations against her and ensure her immediate release. The unexplained disappearance of the journalist, the raid at her family home and the allegations of sharing classified information implicate the authorities in the journalist's disappearance. Russian authorities in Crimea must allow members of the press to do their work safely and without interference.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.
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