Journalist Iryna Levchenko from occupied Melitopol was transferred to the Akmesdzhit (Simferopol) pre-trial detention center

Ukrainian journalist Iryna Levchenko from the temporarily occupied Melitopol, who has been illegally held in Russian captivity for more than two and a half years, was transferred from the Donetsk pre-trial detention center to the temporarily occupied Crimea. She is currently being held in the Akmesdzhit (Simferopol) pre-trial detention center. This was reported by her sister Olena to the outlet  RIA “Pivden”.

According to her sister, it is in occupied Crimea that the Russian authorities may try to hold a “trial” of the Melitopol journalist. There is still no official information about the charges brought against her, but her relatives know that Iryna Levchenko is being accused of “terrorism.”

“She always tried to understand motives and circumstances and reveal characters. She listened to people very carefully and described Melitopol as it really was”, – her sister Olena said.

Iryna Levchenko and her husband Alexander were detained on May 6, 2023, in occupied Melitopol. At the time of their detention, the couple were already retired and had deliberately remained in the city. They were initially held in basements, and for several days the family had no information about their whereabouts. Later, Iryna Levchenko was transferred to Donetsk detention facility No. 1, where she remained until recently.

It is known that Oleksandr Levchenko was released in August 2024, one year and four months after his arrest. During this time, he was held in occupied Melitopol, periodically transferred from one place of detention to another. Upon his release, he was given a certificate stating that he had allegedly served 21 days of administrative arrest for “violating curfew.” His passport, bank cards, and funds seized during the search were never returned to him. During his entire period of imprisonment, he saw his wife only once during a walk in the detention center, but they were not allowed to talk.

Iryna Levchenko is also a member of the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine and has over 40 years of professional experience. She worked for the newspaper Motorobudivnyk, the Melitopol district newspaper Novy Den, was a correspondent for regional and national publications, and participated in public initiatives. She was awarded a medal by the State Emergency Service of Ukraine for her work during emergencies and crises in the region. In Melitopol, she was known as a journalist who wrote not formal reports, but stories about people, their fates, and the life of the city.

Despite her advanced age, lack of any public activity since her retirement, and absence of any officially brought charges, Iryna Levchenko continues to be held in Russian captivity. Her transfer to a Crimean pre-trial detention center has heightened her family’s concerns for her life and health.