Ukrainian journalist who documented Russian occupation dies in prison

Viktoriia Roshchyna disappeared in August 2023 in part of Ukraine now occupied by Russian forces.

It took Russian authorities 9 months to verify that the journalist had been detained. They gave no purpose.

This week, her father acquired a quick letter from the Ministry of Protection in Moscow informing him that Victoria had died aged 27.

The journalist’s physique can be returned as a part of an change organized by Russia and Ukraine for troopers killed on the battlefield, the doc mentioned. The date of loss of life was September nineteenth.

Once more, no clarification.

This weekend, buddies gathered at Maidan Sq. in central Kiev to commemorate Victoria. They shuffled to their seats on the steps along with her photograph in hand, their younger faces smiling on the small crowd.

“She had large braveness,” one girl started in tribute.

“We’ll miss her terribly,” mentioned one other, turning away with tears filling her eyes.

Victoria’s story is a snapshot of Ukrainian life you can’t get wherever else.

Reporting from occupied Ukraine was extraordinarily harmful, however her colleagues bear in mind how keen she was to go there, even after she was first detained and held for ten days.

“Her dad and mom known as us as soon as to cease deploying her, however we by no means deployed her!” recalled certainly one of her former bosses.

“All her editors tried to cease her. However it was unimaginable.

The younger reporter ultimately grew to become a freelancer with the intention to deploy herself, and when she returned, newspapers would purchase her tales.

Most strikingly, though she spoke publicly about “occupied” territory and known as those that collaborated with the Russians “traitors,” she by no means used a pseudonym.

“She wished to supply details about how these cities lived beneath siege by Russian troops,” Sevgil Musayeva, editor-in-chief of Ukraine’s Pravda newspaper, instructed the BBC.

“She’s simply superb.”

Victoria’s father beforehand described how she traveled by way of Poland and Russia to occupied Ukraine final July.

Per week later, she known as to say she had been interrogated on the border for a number of days.

All we all know for positive after that’s that, by Could, she was being held on the Second Detention Heart in Taganrog in southern Russia—a facility so infamous for its brutal therapy of many Ukrainians that some have dubbed it the “Russian Guantanamo.”

One other Ukrainian citizen launched from Taganrog final month instructed Viktoria’s household that she met the journalist on September 8 or 9, in keeping with the Media Human Rights Initiative.

Then we’ve got purpose to hope.

“I’m one hundred pc positive that she is going to come again on September 13 of this 12 months. My sources gave me one hundred pc assure,” mentioned Musaieva from Ukraine’s Pravda newspaper.

She was instructed Victoria could be included in one of many common prisoner exchanges deliberate by Ukraine and Russia in the course of final month.

“So what occurred to her in jail? Why did not she come residence?

Victoria and one other Ukrainian girl had been each moved, however neither was included within the prisoner change.

“Meaning she was taken elsewhere,” mentioned Media Initiatives Director Tetyana Katrychenko. “They mentioned it was to Lefortovo. Why there? We do not know.

She mentioned this was not regular follow earlier than the change.

Moscow’s Lefortovo jail is run by Russia’s FSB safety service and is used to detain these accused of espionage and severe crimes towards the state.

“Perhaps they took her there to begin some form of courtroom proceedings or investigation. This occurred to different civilians who had been taken from Kherson and Melitopol,” Tetyana mentioned.

The BBC understands Victoria’s father spoke to her in jail on August 30.

Sooner or later she initiated a starvation strike, however that day her father urged her to begin consuming once more and he or she agreed.

“This must be investigated. It additionally means that we are going to partly blame her and never that we must always blame the Russian Federation,” Tetyana warned.

Ukrainian intelligence companies have confirmed Victoria’s loss of life and the prosecutor basic’s workplace has modified the legal case from unlawful detention to homicide.

Victoria has by no means been charged with any crime in Russia and the circumstances of her detention are unknown.

“A civilian journalist… was captured by Russia. After which Russia despatched a letter saying she was useless?” Ukrainian lawmaker Yaroslav Yurchyshyn instructed the BBC in Kiev.

“That is killing. Simply killing hostages. I do not know what else to say.

Russia has but to remark.

Since Russia started its full-scale invasion, giant numbers of civilians have been taken away from areas of Ukraine that Moscow has occupied and managed.

Like Victoria’s household, determined family members have little concept of ​​their whereabouts or well being, or whether or not they may ever return residence.

To date, the Media Initiative has compiled a listing of 1,886 names.

“There are every kind of individuals right here, together with veterans, cops and native officers like mayors,” Tetiana mentioned.

“After all, there could also be extra that we do not know.”

Legal professionals and the Crimson Cross are inaccessible, and even when somebody’s location will be confirmed, getting them residence is almost unimaginable: civilians are hardly ever exchanged.

Victoria’s buddies and colleagues say they will not relaxation till they discover out what occurred.

“Her life was her work,” mentioned Angelina Karyakina, a former editor at Hromadske. “It is uncommon to seek out somebody so decided.”

“I am fairly positive the best way she wished us to recollect her was to not stand right here and cry, however to recollect her dignity,” she mentioned.

“I feel it’s vital for us reporters to seek out out what she was doing — and end her story.”