Ukraine has reclassified its investigation into the disappearance of journalist Viktoria Roschchyna to a war crimes investigation after reports that she was killed in Russian captivity.
Petro Yatsenko told Suspilne that Russia had not returned the body of Ukrainian Journalist Viktoria Rosahchyna who died in Russian captivity during the 18th October prisoner exchange.
Roshchyna was a freelance journalist, who had previously worked for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, and other prominent Ukrainian media outlets. She went missing in Russian-occupied territory on 3 August 2023.
According to her father Volodymyr, she left Ukraine on 27 July 2023 for Poland and was supposed reach the occupied areas in eastern Ukraine by way of Russia within three days.
Recently, 95 Ukrainian defenders were released from Russian captivity. The bodies of journalists were not returned.
Yatsenko said to Suspilne that the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War was doing everything it could to answer the questions that were of concern to everyone in our society.
Yatsenko stated that it was premature to discuss the cause and circumstances of the death of the journalist, including whether or not she had been tortured. He said that the work to repatriate Roshchyna’s body started immediately after news of her death. However, the process was dependent on the other side.
Yatsenko stated that “we cannot give an exact time for repatriation”, suggesting that the Russians may be delaying their return in order to hide evidence of a possible criminal act.
Roshchyna has been reporting from the frontlines ever since the invasion began. She was first detained by Russia’s Federal Security Service on 16 March 2022 in occupied Berdiansk and released on 22 march after being forced into recording a video denying claims against Russian special forces.
The journalist was reported missing again on the 3rd of August, while reporting from occupied territories. Her family believes that Russians are holding her. Roshchyna’s father said that she left Ukraine on 27 July for Poland, intending to get to occupied eastern Ukraine through Russia within three days.
The Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine declared on 11 October that the criminal proceeding opened in connection with Roshchyna’s disappearance was reclassified to a war crime with premeditated killing following reports of her death.
Roshchyna has worked for a variety of Ukrainian media outlets including Ukrainian Radio, UA First, hromadske and Ukrainska Pravda.
She received the “Courage in Journalism Award” from the International Women’s Media Foundation in 2022.
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