Death in custody: Ukrainian journalist's fate highlights growing peril for women under Russian detention
The death of Victoria Roshchyna highlights the brutal treatment of female journalists by Russia. The missing Ukrainian reporter, Victoria Roshchyna, has died in Russian captivity. Her story, described by "The Guardian," reveals the growing issue of violence and persecution faced by female journalists in Russia.
Last year, 26-year-old Victoria Roshchyna went missing while covering events in the occupied east of Ukraine. After eight months of searching, it was discovered that the Russians detained her.
Recently, officials in Kyiv announced that Roshchyna died in Russian captivity, probably during transport to Moscow from a prison in Taganrog as part of a prisoner exchange. Russia refuses to release her body to the Ukrainian authorities, complicating the investigation and leaving the family without answers about the circumstances of her death.
As reported by "The Guardian," Roshchyna is the ninth journalist to lose her life since the beginning of the Russian invasion in February 2022. Organizations like the Coalition for Women in Journalism see this as part of a campaign of violence and intimidation against women reporting on the war in Ukraine.
Russia persecutes journalists
In the past five years, the Coalition for Women in Journalism has documented 64 cases of female journalists being detained by Russia on its territory or in occupied areas. Since 2022, 11 have been abducted, many directly from their homes. Russia is also accused of persecuting journalists abroad, including suspicions of poisoning.
Detained female journalists report brutal conditions, including beating and torture. An example is Irina Danilovych, a Crimean citizen journalist who was abducted in 2022 while investigating corruption in the healthcare system. She lost her hearing while in detention.
International organizations are calling for the immediate release of Danilovych and other female journalists. They emphasize that the responsibility for the safety and well-being of detained journalists lies with the states that arrest them.
