Russia holds 31 Ukrainian journalists in captivity, human rights activists state

Ukraine is currently aware of 31 Ukrainian journalists abducted by Russian forces and held captive in Russia.

Source: Tetiana Katrychenko, Executive Director of the Media Initiative for Human Rights organisation, at a press conference on 30 May, Ukrinform reports

Quote: "As of today, the Media Initiative for Human Rights has identified 31 media workers abducted by Russia in the occupied territories of Ukraine. In most cases, the fate of these people remains unknown. Neither their relatives nor human rights activists can obtain information about their whereabouts and health status."

Details: Katrychenko added that the organisation is studying the facts of the detention of Ukrainian civilians in the occupied territories, including journalists.

Based on the Media Initiative for Human Rights organisation data, the following people are currently in Russian prisons: Aziz Azirov, Ernes Ametov, Osman Arifmemetov, Marlen Asanov, Asan Akhtemov, Remzi Bekirov, Oleksii Bessarabov, Maksym Butkevych, Vladyslav Hershon, Anastasiia Hlukhovska, Iryna Danylovych, Nariman Dzhelial, Vladyslav Yesypenko, Tymur Ibrahimov, Yevhen Ilchenko, Heorhii Levchenko, Iryna Levchenko, Oleksandr Malyshev, Server Mustafaiev, Rustem Osmanov, Hennadii Osmak, Viktoriia Roshchyna, Maksym Rupchov, Seyran Saliiev, Yana Suvorova, Amet Suleimanov, Ruslan Suleimanov, Vilen Temerianov, Dmytro Khyliuk, Serhii Tsyhipa, Rustem Sheikhaliiev and Dmytro Shtyblykov.

The human rights activist stressed that the Russian Federation holds such persons in terrible conditions, in solitary confinement, tortures them, does not allow representatives of international humanitarian missions and lawyers to visit them, and ignores their right to contact their families.

Katrychenko stressed that there is still no clear information about Ukrainian journalist Dmytro Khylyiuk, who was abducted by the Russian forces on 3 March 2022, near his home in the village of Kozarovychi (Kyiv Oblast).

He was sent through the territory of Belarus to Novozybkiv (Bryansk Oblast, Russia), where most of the citizens who were detained in Kyiv Oblast during the occupation were taken. For a long time, the Russian Federation did not confirm the detention of Dmytro and hundreds of other people from Kyiv Oblast.

Lina Kushch, the first secretary of the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine, said that information had recently been received about Ukrainian journalist Viktoriia Roshchyna.

"The Russian Ministry of Defence confirmed to Viktoria's father that the journalist is currently in Russia and that she is imprisoned," she said.

Kushch said that the annual meeting of the European Federation of Journalists was recently held, and the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine proposed a general statement in support of the captured Ukrainian journalists.

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