Ukrainian media urge world to respond to murder of journalist Roshchyna in Russia
Ukrainian journalists and media professionals have issued a statement calling on international organizations to take urgent action following the murder of Ukrainian journalist Viktoria Roshchyna in Russian captivity.
This was reported by the Institute of Mass Information, according to Ukrinform.
"Knowing that Viktoria Roshchyna had been in captivity for over a year and that she was physically healthy before her imprisonment by Russian forces, we have every reason to believe that her death was either the result of intentional murder or a consequence of the cruel treatment and violence she suffered while in Russian captivity," the statement reads.
The journalists call on international organizations to act swiftly within their mandates.
“International institutions mandated to protect human rights must act decisively and immediately. We call on international organizations to take urgent action to verify the condition and protect the rights of 29 civilian Ukrainian journalists currently held in Russian captivity,” the media professionals emphasize.
They also appealed to colleagues in Ukrainian, foreign, and international media "to highlight this tragedy, conduct independent investigations into the circumstances surrounding Viktoria's death, and help tell the world about the fate of Ukrainian journalists currently held in Russian captivity."
The full text of the statement is available on the Institute of Mass Information’s website.
The statement is open for signature by media professionals.
As reported by Ukrinform, Ukrainian journalist Viktoria Roshchyna went missing on August 3, 2023, during a trip to Russian-occupied territories. On July 27, 2023, she left Ukraine for Poland and was scheduled to reach occupied areas in eastern Ukraine (via Russia) within three days.
In April 2024, Russia first confirmed that it was unlawfully detaining her.
On October 10 of this year, Head of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Freedom of Speech, Yaroslav Yurchyshyn, announced on his Facebook page that Viktoria's father had received notification of his daughter’s death, which had occurred on September 19.
According to official information from Russian authorities, her death happened during a transfer from Taganrog to Moscow.
The death of Ukrainian journalist Viktoria Roshchyna in Russian captivity was confirmed by a representative of the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War.
According to the Prosecutor General's Office, the case initially opened for Roshchyna’s disappearance has been reclassified as a murder investigation.