Ukraine: Remembering Viktoriia Roshchyna – and demanding justice from Russia

19 September marks one year since the death of Viktoriia Roshchyna, a Ukrainian journalist who had been held for over a year in Russian captivity. On this day, the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) partners remember Viktoriia and demand justice for her death from Russian authorities.

Roshchyna's body was repatriated to Ukraine and buried in Kyivonly on 8 August 2025, almost one year after the official date of her death recorded by Russian authorities.

According to Ukrainian forensic investigators, Roshchyna's body showed numerous signs of torture, including burn marks from electric shocks, cuts on the body, neck injuries, and a broken rib. Ukrainian authorities and independent investigations indicated that she had been subjected to regular beatings, threats, humiliation, and deprivation of medical care, water, and food.

Later, reporting by Forbidden Stories also indicated that multiple organs had been removedfrom her body before it was returned to Ukraine, in a potential effort to conceal evidence of torture. While the precise circumstances of her death remain unknown, it is certain that Victoria lost her life in Russian custody while under the supervision of Russian prison authorities.

Roshchyna departed for her last reporting trip in July 2023 to investigate rumours of torture in Russian prisons in the occupied Zaporizhia region. The 26-year-old freelance journalist had previously worked for major Ukrainian news outlets such as Ukrainska Pravda and Hromadske. She attempted to reach territories of eastern Ukraine occupied by Russia after its full-scale invasion, but she went missing soon after crossing the border into Russia.

Her family and journalists who had been in contact with Roshchyna soon sounded the alarmabout her disappearance. Over the next year, Russian authorities provided no information about her whereabouts. Security forces finally confirmed in May 2024that she had been arrested on undisclosed charges and allowed only a single phone call with her father.

Russian authorities never confirmed where Roshchyna was detained or where she was being held. Her last confirmed location was the infamous Taganrog prison in Russia, according to investigations.

Subjected to regular torture, Roshchyna died while in Russian captivity, possibly while being transported from Taganrogprison in southwestern Russia to Moscow in preparation for an upcoming exchange. Her family was informed by Russian authorities only a month later.

Following the announcement of her death, Russian authorities have consistently refused to explain the circumstances in which Roshchyna lost her life, or comment on allegations that she was subjected to torture.

One year after Viktoriia Roshchyna's tragic death, MFRR partners reiterate our demandfor full justice for her family. Russian authorities must be held accountable for the death of the journalist who was posthumously granted the Order of Freedom awardby Ukraine.

Our organisations welcome the Ukrainian criminal investigationinto Roshchyna's death. We call on the Russian authorities to cooperate with the investigation and come clean over full circumstances of her imprisonment, torture and death. Only when all those responsible have been held accountable for their crimes will justice have been served. We offer our solidarity with her family and colleagues and support to all those fighting for justice.

Signed:

International Press Institute (IPI)

ARTICLE 19 Europe

Free Press Unlimited (FPU)

European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF)

Osservatorio Balcani Caucaso Transeuropa (OBCT)

European Federation of Journalists (EFJ)