NUJU presents photo exhibition dedicated to media workers captured by russians

A photo exhibition in support of russian-imprisoned journalists has been opened at the Kyiv Journalists’ Solidarity Center (JSC). Yevhen Zinchenko‘s photographs prove that russia violates all the rules of war and uses force against the media and civilians. The National Union of Journalists of Ukraine (NUJU) actively defends the rights of imprisoned journalists, so with the support of the Swedish human rights organization Civil Rights Defenders, it organized an event that drew attention to unjustly imprisoned journalists.

The aggressor country is illegally holding more than 30 Ukrainian media persons, including five women. The russian federation has already decided the fate of most of them: prison, colony, fines, and silence… Many Crimean journalists have been accused of subversive and terrorist activities and espionage. And since the start of the full-scale invasion, mass media persons have been deprived of their freedom for alleged “terrorism.” Prisoners’ requests are ignored, and prison terms are constantly extended. The russian federation rejects the possibility of contact with some imprisoned journalists because it even hides their whereabouts.

The NUJU conducts systematic work for the release of imprisoned journalists, including in the international arena. The NUJU President, Sergiy Tomilenko, claims that practice shows that every independent journalist is a threat to the occupiers.

“We know that the russians demand that Ukrainian journalists receive russian passports and, accordingly, renounce Ukraine, renounce their profession. At the same time, our media representatives overcome all challenges! We have absolutely no reason to be ashamed of our colleagues. We are eager to bring closer the time when our media friends finally visit us after their release.”

“Often being captured, journalists fall into an information vacuum, which is also one of the weapons of the russian federation. The lack of any information depresses the personality and makes one doubt. Moreover, the occupiers also use disinformation,” said Yevhen Brahar, the first deputy head of the Parliamentary Committee on Freedom of Speech.

“People, after returning from captivity, very often say that the russians assured them that they had been betrayed. The occupiers even say that Ukraine has lost. Separately, special newspapers are issued stating that the AFU is ending its resistance. But when Ukrainians return home, they learn that they were always remembered, that they are important.”

Each exhibit at the exhibition is more than just a photograph; it is a story of a fierce struggle for the opportunity to tell the truth. Publicity is something that russia is very afraid of. Olena Tsyhipa, the wife of imprisoned journalist Serhii Tsyhipa, called on journalists to disseminate and popularize information about illegally imprisoned colleagues. After all, every event and mention is extremely important for those who are in captivity. In order not to give up, you need to be sure that you are remembered, and all this is not in vain.

“I am very grateful to the National Union of Journalists for raising this topic at all levels with the help of cultural projects and information events both in Ukraine and around the world.”

The photo exhibition presents photos of ten imprisoned journalists who were enslaved for various reasons but with one goal in mind.

• Iryna Levchenko, a journalist from Melitopol, the russians detained her and her husband on May 6, 2023. The whereabouts of the media woman are still unknown, as well as the reasons for her imprisonment;
• Dmytro Khyliuk, a UNIAN journalist who was kidnapped on March 3, 2022. The occupiers are keeping him in the IK-7 correctional colony in Pakino, Vladimir Oblast, russia;
• Heorhii Levchenko, the administrator of the RIA Melitopol Telegram channel. The journalist was kidnapped on August 20, 2023, and accused of terrorism; besides, the occupiers are hiding his whereabouts;
• Yana Suvorova, the administrator of the Melitopol is Ukraine Telegram channel. The journalist was detained on August 20, 2023. Russia accused her of “participating in sabotage and terrorist operations” in the Zaporizhzhia Region together with agents of Ukrainian military intelligence;
• Serhii Tsyhipa, a public figure and journalist from Nova Kakhovka, who was detained by the occupiers on March 12, 2022. The media person was accused of espionage and imprisoned for 13 years;
• Iryna Danylovych, a Crimean nurse, citizen journalist of the Crimean Process, trade union, and public activist. She was detained on April 29, 2022, and “sentenced” to seven years in prison for “making and storing an improvised explosive device;“
• Asan Akhmetov, a Crimean journalist, correspondent, and assistant editor of the Avdet newspaper, who was detained on September 3, 2021. The media worker was accused of blowing up a gas station near Simferopol and was imprisoned for 15 years in a high-security prison;
• Ruslan Suleimanov, a citizen journalist who covered human rights violations in occupied Crimea. He was detained on March 27, 2019, and imprisoned for 14 years in a high-security colony due to his so-called participation in the Muslim organization Hizb ut-Tahrir, which is declared to be a “terrorist” organization in russia;
• Remzi Bekirov, a citizen journalist/correspondent of ru, who covered high-profile cases against Crimean Tatars in occupied Crimea. The journalist was detained on March 28, 2019, and was also accused of participating in the Muslim organization Hizb ut-Tahrir, which is considered “terrorist” in russia. Remzi Bekirov was sentenced to 19 years in a high-security prison.

Russian captivity kills. Journalist Viktoria Roshchina was twice imprisoned by russian executioners. She has died in prison. The media journalist filmed the war in the occupied territories, for which she was captured and held captive for almost 1.5 years.

The NUJU considers the release of colleagues illegally held by the occupying russian regime, the search for missing persons, and the return of the bodies of dead colleagues to be one of its priorities. The NUJU also emphasizes the importance of bringing to justice all those guilty of crimes against Ukrainian and foreign journalists who carry out an important mission in our country to convey the truth about the russian-Ukrainian war to the world audience.