Ukraine: Ukrainian Journalist Zhanna Kyselova Detained by Russian Occupying Forces in Kherson
6 Ukrainian women journalists remain behind bars in occupied Russian territories of Ukraine.
Location: Ukraine, Kherson
Date: June 27, 2024
Women Press Freedom loudly condemns the detention of Zhanna Kyselova. Her abduction illustrates the climate of fear and repression that Russian occupation has imposed on Ukrainian journalists. Arbitrary arrests, secretive detentions, and the lack of communication regarding detainees’ status or charges create a severe chilling effect, silencing dissenting or independent journalistic voices. The unexplained appropriation of Kyselova’s former newspaper title for Russian-controlled propaganda reflects a strategy aimed at erasing Ukrainian journalistic identity and replacing it with state-controlled narratives. Her case highlights the perils faced by journalists, even those who have refrained from public work, as occupying authorities appear willing to enforce control and punishment indiscriminately. It is urgent that Russian authorities disclose Kyselova’s location and provide transparency about her detention conditions. Her immediate and unconditional release is imperative. Continued documentation and international condemnation of these acts of repression are essential to holding perpetrators accountable and defending press freedom in occupied territories.
On July 1, 2024, Ukrainian authorities reported the detention of Zhanna Kyselova, a journalist and former editor of the newspaper Kakhovska Zorya, by Russian occupying forces in Ukraine’s Kherson region. According to a statement from the Kherson Regional Prosecutor’s Office, Kyselova was detained at her apartment in Kakhovka on June 27, and her current location remains undisclosed. The Russian authorities have not provided any information regarding charges against her, leaving her fate in question and intensifying concerns for her safety and well-being.
This marks the second documented detention of Kyselova since the Russian occupation of Kakhovka. In a similar incident on September 19, 2022, Russian forces detained her, and she was reportedly held in what Ukrainian sources refer to as a “basement”—a euphemism for unofficial detention centers often associated with torture and ill-treatment. She was released on October 2, 2022, though no clear reasons were given for either detention, raising troubling questions about the targeting of journalists under Russian occupation.
Kyselova’s case underscores the vulnerability of journalists in Russian-occupied territories in Ukraine, where press freedom has been effectively dismantled. Kyselova, whose last journalistic activity with Kakhovska Zorya appeared on Facebook in March 2022, did not engage in any publicly known journalistic work following the occupation. The dormant status of Kakhovska Zorya under her direction did not prevent occupying authorities from seizing its title; in July 2023, Russian authorities registered a pro-Russian newspaper under the same name, translated as Kakhovskaya Zarya, which continues to circulate in the occupied region. This symbolic appropriation not only silences local voices but manipulates media infrastructure to propagate occupying forces' narratives.
The Kherson Regional Prosecutor’s Office has opened a criminal investigation under Part 1 of Article 438 of the Ukrainian Criminal Code, addressing violations of war laws and customs by Russian forces in the region. The Ukrainian State Security Service (SBU) is also investigating Kyselova’s initial arrest in 2022, underscoring the persistence of judicial efforts to hold Russian forces accountable for the repression of Ukrainian media workers.
Women Press Freedom stands resolutely against the unlawful detention of Zhanna Kyselova and condemns the Russian occupation’s systematic targeting of journalists in Ukraine. Kyselova’s case is yet another alarming illustration of the occupying forces’ attempts to silence independent voices, manipulate local media, and erase Ukrainian identity under a veil of propaganda. Such actions not only endanger journalists but also represent a blatant assault on press freedom and the rights of communities to receive unbiased information. We call on the international community to join in demanding that Russian authorities immediately disclose Kyselova’s location and ensure her unconditional release. The continued harassment of journalists in occupied territories is unacceptable.
Women Press Freedom is an initiative by The Coalition For Women In Journalism
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.
If you have been harassed or abused in any way, and please report the incident by using the following form.