THE NATIONAL UNION OF
JOURNALISTS OF UKRAINE
The National Union of Journalists of Ukraine (NUJU) is deeply shocked by the confirmed information about the death of its colleague Viktoria Roshchina. According to the Coordination Staff for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, a well-known Ukrainian journalist died in russian captivity.
The NUJU calls for an immediate and thorough international investigation into the russian capture and circumstances surrounding the death of journalist Viktoria Roshchina. We call on the international community to increase pressure on russia to release all Ukrainian journalists who are illegally detained by the occupiers.
Viktoria Roshchina, a Ukrainian journalist, last contacted her loved ones on August 3, 2023. At that time, she was in the territory of Ukraine occupied by russian troops, where she was preparing a report about the life of the local population under the conditions of occupation. After that, contact with her was cut off.
In the months that followed, Viktoria‘s family, colleagues, and human rights organizations tried to find out where she was. Inquiries to the occupation authorities of Mariupol, the russian Prosecutor General’s Office, the investigative committee, and the ombudsman remained unanswered or with formal rejections.
It was not until April 17, 2024, more than 250 days after Viktoria‘s disappearance, that her father, Volodymyr Roshchin, received official confirmation from the russian Ministry of Defense. The letter, prepared by the russian military police, stated: “According to the available information, Viktoria Roshchina, born on October 6, 1996, has been detained and is currently in the territory of the russian federation.”
The confirmation sparked a new wave of outrage among the journalistic and international community. It intensified calls for the immediate release of Viktoria Roshchina and other detained journalists.
The NUJU demanded the immediate and unconditional release of Viktoria Roshchina and all illegally detained Ukrainian journalists. On May 30, 2024, the International and European Federations of Journalists issued a statement in which they expressed deep concern about the situation with Viktoria Roshchina and the general state of press freedom in the Ukrainian territories occupied by russia. The American Committee to Protect Journalists also strongly condemned the detention of Viktoria Roshchina.
The NUJU initiated a campaign of solidarity with captured Ukrainian media workers, among whom was Viktoria Roshchina. The NUJU regularly draws attention to the fate of imprisoned journalists, including Anastasia Glukhovska, Iryna Levchenko, Serhii Tsyhipa, Iryna Danylovych, Dmytro Khyliuk, Vladyslav Yesypenko, all illegally convicted Crimean journalists. On July 19, 2024, the IFJ and EFJ officially joined the NUJU campaign, publishing a statement: “The russian authorities must immediately release illegally detained Ukrainian journalists in the occupied territories.”
However, unfortunately, it was not possible to free Viktoria. As it became known on October 10, 2024, Viktoria Roshchina’s father, Volodymyr, received a message about his daughter’s death. According to official information from the russian authorities, this happened during the staging process from Taganrog to Moscow.
We express our sincere condolences to the family and loved ones of Viktoria, her father, Volodymyr Mykhailovych, with whom the NUJU members from Dnipro and Kyiv are in constant contact. We will remember Viktoria Roshchina‘s bravery and dedication in fulfilling her professional duty.
Journalists are important!
Created as part of the project “Raising awareness among target groups in Ukraine and abroad about Russian war crimes against journalists in 2024 and increasing public pressure for the release of captured journalists”, which is implemented by the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine with support of the Swedish non-profit human rights organization Civil Rights Defenders.
NUJU Information Service
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