THE NATIONAL UNION OF
JOURNALISTS OF UKRAINE
For no reason, in violation of international law and conventions, more than 20,000 Ukrainians are kept in the territory of the Russian Federation against their will.
This was stated by UNIAN Editor-in-Chief Mykhailo Hannytskyi during a speech at the opening of the photo exhibition called Ukraine: Journalists on the Front.
The journalist reminded those present about his colleague Dmytro Khyliuk, who has been held hostage by the Russian Federation for already over 450 days.
“His current legal status cannot be called ‘captivity’ since Dmytro was not accused of anything and was detained not officially,” said Mykhailo Hannytskyi. “Moreover, at the official level, the Russian Federation does not recognize that Dmytro is in its territory against his will. But we know that he is being held there illegally.”
The editor called on the media to encourage their colleagues from democratic countries to exert pressure on the political leadership to introduce a separate package of sanctions against the Russian Federation.
“I want to address our Union, all colleagues, and Western partners. We all know journalist colleagues from democratic countries. I urge everyone to encourage them to put pressure on their political leadership so that a separate package of sanctions was introduced against the Russian Federation, specifically related to the illegal detention of Ukrainians in its territory,” Mykhailo Hannytskyi said.
As earlier reported, Dmytro Khyliuk and his father, Vasyl Khyliuk, were captured by the occupiers in the village of Kozarovychi near Kyiv on February 26, 2022. The Russians forced Dmytro to dig trenches. Later, the father was released, and Dmytro was taken to an unknown destination.
The National Union of Journalists of Ukraine (NUJU) calls on the state and all international institutions to do everything possible to return home all those illegally held captive by Russia as soon as possible!
NUJU Information Service
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