Russia dragging out process of returning journalist Viktoriia Roshchyna's body to Ukraine – Ukrainian MP
The Russians are delaying the return of the body of Ukrainian journalist Viktoriia Roshchyna, who died in Russian captivity.
Source: Yaroslav Yurchyshyn, Ukrainian MP and Chairman of the Committee on Freedom of Speech, at a briefing, as quoted by Ukrinform
Quote: "Regarding the case of Viktoriia Roshchyna… Russia is not even allowing her story to conclude. Her father has yet to receive additional official confirmation [concerning his daughter's death – ed.] from the Russian side. Consequently, Russia is delaying the handover of Viktoriia’s body to Ukraine. We cannot hold a funeral or obtain any specific information."
Details: Yurchyshyn also emphasised that Ukraine must work to secure the release of every civilian journalist, and indeed every Ukrainian civilian and political prisoner.
Read also: Journalist Viktoriia Roshchyna killed in captivity: a tribute through 7 of her best articles
Background:
- In March 2022, Roshchyna was captured by the Russians and held for 10 days in Berdiansk, Donetsk Oblast.
- In 2022, Roshchyna wrote a series of articles for Ukrainska Pravda from the temporarily occupied territories. In particular, she wrote about life in occupied Crimea during the war and a sham referendum in occupied Donetsk Oblast. She also made a photo report from the destroyed city of Mariupol.
- Roshchyna left Ukraine for Poland on 25 July 2023 to travel to the occupied territory. She planned to reach the occupied part of Ukraine's east via Russia in three days.
- Roshchyna disappeared on 3 August 2023 in the Russian-occupied territory from where she was reporting.
- In May 2024, Russia admitted for the first time 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 Ukrainian 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. Defence Intelligence of Ukraine said that she was to be brought back to Ukraine in the near future.
- On 11 October 2024, the criminal case opened over the disappearance of Ukrainian freelance journalist Viktoriia Roshchyna was reclassified as a war crime combined with premeditated murder.
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