Torture with silence and music: Crimean journalist Iryna Danylovych loses her hearing in a russian colony

The health of illegally convicted citizen journalist Iryna Danylovych, who is being held in colony No. 7 in the city of Zelenokumsk (russia), is rapidly deteriorating. Due to the lack of medical care, the woman has completely lost her hearing in her left ear. This was reported by the Crimean Tatar Resource Center, citing relatives of the political prisoner.

Iryna Danylovych has been in illegal detention for about four years. During this time, chronic otitis, which the occupiers refused to treat, has developed into partial deafness. In addition to hearing loss in one ear, the journalist suffers from constant noise, whistling in her head, and severe migraines.

Despite her critical condition, the colony administration not only fails to provide qualified assistance but also uses specific methods of psychological pressure. According to relatives, loud russian music is systematically played in the barracks where Iryna is held. For a person with hearing problems and headaches, this turns into real torture. All of Danylovych’s complaints about excessive noise are ignored.

Currently, the journalist is not involved in forced labor due to health reasons. She spends most of her time reading books, but the woman’s morale remains low.

• Communication: Short calls to relatives last no more than 2–3 minutes.
• Isolation: The colony administration blocks letters of support, including those coming from abroad.
• Food: It is assessed as unsatisfactory, but Iryna avoids detailed complaints about this during conversations.

Reference Information: Iryna Danylovych was abducted by russian security forces in occupied Crimea in April 2022. In December of the same year, the occupation “court” sentenced her to 7 years in a colony and a fine on a fabricated case of “storing explosives”.

In the summer of 2024, before her daughter was released, her father, Bronislav Danylovych, died. Now Iryna is waiting for her at home with her seriously ill mother, who is almost unable to move.

Despite the pressure and illness, Iryna Danylovych continues to convey words of support to other Crimean political prisoners. She calls on the international community not to stop the fight for their release.

As earlier reported, human rights activist and citizen journalist Iryna Danylovych called on all caring people to raise the issue of the fate of political prisoners who ended up in russian prisons more often this year.