Ukrainian journalist tortured in Russian captivity: media report

By AFP

Ukrainian journalist Viktoriia Roshchyna, who died in Russian captivity, was tortured and had organs removed before her body was returned, according to a joint media report dubbed Forbidden Stories published Tuesday.

In February, Russia returned Roshchyna's emaciated body with signs of torture and some organs removed, possibly to hide further traces of torture, the report by media outlets including The Washington Post, The Guardian, Ukrainska Pravda, and iStories, said citing Ukrainian prosecutors.

The forensic examination "revealed numerous signs of torture and ill-treatment", the prosecutors were quoted as saying.

These included "a broken rib, neck injuries, and possible electric shock marks on her feet," according to Yuriy Belousov, head of the War Crimes Unit at the Ukrainian Prosecutor General's office.

Despite a high DNA match, the journalist's father does not believe the body is his daughter's and he has requested further forensic analyses.

Roshchyna, who worked for Ukrainska Pravda and Hromadske, went missing in 2023 when she was 27, while in Russian-occupied territories in southeast Ukraine investigating alleged torture prisons.

Ukrainian journalists rarely go to Russian-occupied areas because of the high risks. Roschyna is the first Ukrainian journalist to die in Russian captivity.

Ukraine urged the international community to respond to the report. "The issue of civilian hostages abducted and held by Russia requires increased international attention and immediate and strong response," foreign ministry spokesman Georgiy Tykhy said.

Thousands of Ukrainian civilians are held in Russian prisons or in occupied areas of Ukraine, where many are tortured and deprived of correspondence, according to NGOs and media reports.