Russia: 10 Months After Vanishing in Occupied Ukraine, Women Press Freedom Confirms Russia is Keeping Victoria Roshchyna Captive
Women Press Freedom is relieved to report the award-winning journalist is safe but is deeply concerned for her safety. We demand her immediate release.
Location: Russia
Date: May 27, 2024
Victoria Roshchyna, a Ukrainian journalist who went missing in August 2023, is being held by Russia’s Ministry of Defence, Women Press Freedom can confirm. We demand immediate information from Russian authorities on her well-being and the reasons for her detention. Her family, loved ones, and legal representatives must be allowed to contact her. Since launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russia has committed countless atrocities, including reports of people being tortured in detention centers. We demand that Roshchyna be visited to ensure she is healthy and safe. Roshchyna’s work reporting on the conflict made her a target, and her continued detention is a grave injustice. Detaining journalists for doing their job is unacceptable, and Roshchyna must be immediately and unconditionally freed so she can return home safely. Women Press Freedom also calls for the release of all other journalists reporting on the conflict who are being unlawfully held by Russia. We urge the international community, human rights organizations, and governments worldwide to exert pressure on Russia to secure their release.
On May 27, 2024, after ten months with no information, Russia acknowledged that it is holding the prominent Ukrainian journalist, Victoria Roshchyna, captive. The revelation came through a letter from the Russian Ministry of Defense to Roshchyna’s father.
Women Press Freedom raised the alarm about the disappearance of Roshchyna, a 26-year-old award-winning journalist known for her reporting on Russia's invasion of Ukraine, on August 3, 2023. The reporter went missing while reporting from occupied territory in eastern Ukraine about her disappearance on several occasions.
According to the letter from Russian military police dated April 17, 2024, Victoria Roshchyna is currently detained within the territory of the Russian Federation. However, despite efforts by her family and relevant authorities, access to her remains restricted. Her father sought assistance from the International Committee of the Red Cross, which confirmed her captivity but has not been able to secure access to her.
Although Russian authorities have acknowledged her detention, crucial questions remain unanswered. There is no indication of the charges against her or the legal basis for her detention. The Mariupol occupation prosecutor's office reported to her family that no case had been opened against her. Further requests to the Russian Prosecutor General's Office, the investigative committee, and the ombudsman have yielded no substantial information.
Since the Kremlin launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russian forces have kidnapped several journalists including Iryna Levchenko and Anastasia Glukhovska. The whereabouts of these journalists remain unknown, and Women Press Freedom is deeply concerned for their safety and well-being.
Women Press Freedom has documented the deaths of eight women journalists in Ukraine since February 2022, all killed in Russian attacks. Numerous frontline journalists have been injured, with six women journalists wounded in Russian attacks in 2024 alone. Journalists in occupied Crimea have also faced intimidation, detention, and imprisonment by Russian authorities.
Women Press Freedom vehemently demands the immediate and unconditional release of Victoria Roshchyna and other journalists held illegally by Russia. She must be allowed to return safely to her family. We call upon the international community and governments worldwide to exert pressure on Russia for their release and to uphold the rights and safety of journalists.
Women Press Freedom is an initiative by The Coalition For Women In Journalism
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