Ukrainian journalist's death reveals Russia's brutal crackdown
The death of Wiktoria Roszczyna highlights the brutal treatment of female journalists by Russia. The missing Ukrainian reporter, Wiktoria Roszczyna, has died in Russian captivity. Her story, as described by "The Guardian", reveals the growing issue of violence and persecution faced by female journalists in Russia.
Last year, 26-year-old Wiktoria Roszczyna went missing while covering events in the occupied eastern regions of Ukraine. After eight months of searching, it was discovered that the Russians had detained her.
Recently, officials in Kyiv announced that Roszczyna 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 her family without answers about the circumstances of her death.
As reported by "The Guardian", Roszczyna is the ninth journalist to lose her life since the beginning of the Russian invasion in February 2022. Organisations 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 has documented 64 cases of female journalists being detained by Russia on its territory or in occupied areas. Since 2022, 11 journalists have been abducted, many directly from their homes. Russia is also accused of persecuting journalists abroad, with suspicions of poisoning among the allegations.
Detained female journalists report brutal conditions, including beatings 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 organisations are calling for the immediate release of Danilovych and other female journalists. They emphasise that the responsibility for the safety and well-being of detained journalists lies with the states that arrest them.
