EU preparing sanctions against russian law enforcement officers and judges involved in Victoria Roshchina’s death

The European Union plans sanctions against russian law enforcement officers, judges, and investigators responsible for the death of journalist Victoria Roshchina and political repression.

As Radio Liberty’s Sistema project has learned, the sanctions list plans to include the heads and employees of the Federal Penitentiary Service (FSVP) of the Rostov Oblast, responsible for the torture and death of Roshchina in Remand Prison-2 of Taganrog, as well as judges and investigators who participated in the politically motivated persecution of journalists and activists.

Among them is Andry Polyakov, the head of the Federal Penitentiary Service for the Rostov Oblast, under whose leadership Ukrainian prisoners were subjected to torture, beatings, and deprived of medical care. According to the EU, Ukrainian journalist Victoria Roshchina died in September 2024 after being tortured in SIZO-2, controlled by Polyakov.

It is also proposed to impose sanctions on Andry Mykhailichenko, deputy head of Remand Prison-2 for security and operational work, Andry Sapitsky, deputy director for personnel issues, and Oleksandr Shtoda, director of Remand Prison-2. All of them, according to the EU, are responsible for the torture, ill-treatment, and death of at least 15 Ukrainian prisoners. The same figure, citing sources in Ukrainian intelligence, is given in investigations by a number of media outlets about torture in Taganrog Remand Prison-2.

Victoria Roshchina is a Ukrainian journalist. In August 2023, she was detained by russian military personnel in the occupied territory of the Zaporizhzhia Region and placed in Remand Prison-2 in the Rostov Oblast. On September 19, 2024, the russian side recorded her death in custody. When the body was transferred in February 2025, multiple injuries and signs of torture were found. The Ukrainian prosecutor’s office qualified her death as a war crime.

Additionally, the sanctions will impact representatives of the judicial system and investigative bodies that are involved in political repression.

EU ambassadors approved the sanctions on November 12. They are planned to be officially approved by EU foreign ministers at a meeting in Luxembourg on November 20.