Russians kidnap journalist's father in Melitopol and demand she return and report to them
KATERINA TISHCHENKO - WEDNESDAY, 23 MARCH 2022, 16:23
On Wednesday, Russian occupiers broke into the home of journalist and director of the Ria-Melitopol website, Svitlana Zalizetska, and kidnapped her 75-year-old father.
Source: Zalizetska in a statement to Suspilne
Details: The journalist's parents were at home at the time of the Russian invasion. The occupiers searched the house, took the journalist's father and removed him to an unknown location.
According to Zalizetska: "They told my mother that they will return my father only after I go to them. But I don't plan to go, because I left town after a conversation with Halyna Danylchenko, who proclaimed herself acting 'mayor' of the town a few days after our conversation".
Details: According to the journalist, Danylchenko suggested that she cooperate with the occupiers and spoke about their prospects. After this conversation she decided to leave the city because she was not going to cooperate with the Russians.
The condition of the journalist's father and his whereabouts are unknown. According to Zalizetska, she has already applied to the Main Department of the National Police in Zaporizhzhia Region and is waiting for an answer.
The journalist noted that her father had previously suffered a stroke, and her mother had had a massive heart attack involving cardiac arrest.
Background:
- People are constantly being kidnapped in occupied Melitopol. Back on 10 March, the occupiers kidnapped Zaporizhzhia regional council deputy Leyla Ibragimova, but then released her.
- On 11 March, Russians kidnapped Melitopol mayor Ivan Fedorov in the street. He was later exchanged for captured Russian conscripts.
- On 12 March, the Russians kidnapped activist Olha Haysumova, who had been organising protests in the city, right from the site of the protests.
- Later, the occupiers kidnapped the head of the Melitopol district council, Serhiy Priyma, and tried to kidnap the secretary of the city council, Roman Romanov.
- On 21 March, three Israeli citizens as well as several representatives of the local media holding company were kidnapped in Melitopol; the journalists were later released.
