Vigil held in Kyiv for Ukrainian journalist Viktoriia Roshchyna, who died in Russian captivity – photos

A vigil has been held in Kyiv in memory of Viktoriia Roshchyna, a freelance journalist for Ukrainska Pravda who died in Russian captivity.

Source: Georgiy Gongadze Prize; Ukrainska Pravda correspondents at the scene

Details: Colleagues of the journalist from the hromadske and Suspilne news agencies gathered in Kyiv’s Independence Square. There was a large number of journalists there, both foreign and Ukrainian. They spoke about Viktoriia Roshchyna and their experience of working with her.

"Read and remember Vika": this call was echoed by most of Roshchyna's relatives and colleagues at the vigil in her memory.

In addition, the Georgiy Gongadze Prize announced that it wishes to join other Ukrainian media professionals in signing a statement that the journalist's death was either the result of premeditated murder or the consequence of the ill-treatment and violence she suffered during her captivity in Russia.

Read Viktoriia Roshchyna's articles on Ukrainska Pravda

Background:

• Viktoriia Roshchyna disappeared on 3 August 2023 while reporting from Russian-occupied territory.
• It was not until May 2024 that Russia admitted that it had detained Roshchyna. The Russian Ministry of Defence sent a letter of confirmation to her father, Volodymyr Roshchyn.
• On 10 October 2024, Petro Yatsenko, the head of the press service of the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, said during the 24/7 national joint newscast that Viktoriia Roshchyna had died in Russian custody. 
• Dmytro Lubinets, Ukrainian Parliamentary Commissioner for Human Rights, later said he had received confirmation of Roshchyna’s death from the Russian side.
• The Office of the Prosecutor General has reported that a criminal case opened in connection with Roshchyna’s disappearance has been reclassified as a war crime combined with premeditated murder.

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