“Must we wait for their deaths to act?” RSF holds flash protest to support Ukrainian journalists held captive
Nearly three years after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, 19 Ukrainian journalists remain imprisoned by the Kremlin and freelance journalist Victoria Roshchyna is presumed to have died in Russian detention. To condemn these arbitrary detentions and demand the journalists’ immediate release, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) staged a flash protest this Thursday, 20 February, in the centre of Paris.
On Thursday, 20 February, at Place de la République in Paris, RSF organised a flash protest demanding the immediate release of 19 Ukrainian journalists arbitrarily imprisoned by the Kremlin and that Russia communicate the details of Victoria Roshchyna’s presumed death. A freelance reporter, Victoria Roshchyna was declared dead according to a letter sent to her family from the Russian Ministry of Defence. The letter merely stated that she perished in captivity on 19 September 2024, and her body has still not been returned to her family.
Twenty coffins were displayed at the protest: one closed for Victoria Roshchyna, and 19 open coffins symbolising the Ukrainian reporters endangered behind Russian bars. “A Ukrainian journalist has died in a Russian prison. Nineteen others are still behind bars. Must we wait for their deaths to act?”
"Where is the body of Victoria Roshchyna, declared dead by Russia? Must we wait for the 19 other Ukrainian journalists held hostage by the Russian Federation to die before this apathy ends? As the near-indifference of the international community persists, Russia continues its brutal repression of independent journalists in occupied Ukrainian territories. Nineteen reporters are languishing in Kremlin prisons, subjected to torture and isolation, some for nearly a decade. The tragic and opaque case of Victoria Roshchyna is a chilling reminder: being detained by Russia means risking death behind bars. We must not forget them. Their captivity is an absolute emergency, and Russia must be held accountable for these crimes.
The release of imprisoned journalists : an RSF priority
RSF has identified 19 Ukrainian journalists currently detained by Russia, mainly arrested in occupied Ukrainian territories since 2014 and 2022 for refusing to collaborate with the Kremlin. Nine have already been sentenced to up to 20 years in prison following sham trials based on false charges of “terrorism” or “espionage.” While the Kremlin refuses to disclose the fate of several journalists arrested after the 2022 full-scale invasion, RSF investigations have helped trace some of their whereabouts.
Securing the release of Ukrainian journalists is a top priority in RSF efforts to defend press freedom in Ukraine. In December 2024, RSF urged member states participating in the OSCE Summit in Malta, RSF to take action for their release.
Ukraine and Russia rank 61st and 162nd, respectively, out of the 180 countries and territories surveyed in the 2024 RSF World Press Freedom Index.
