Photo: NUJU
Ukrainian journalist Viktoriya Roshchyna, who went missing during a trip to the occupied territories, died in Russian captivity. This was reported by the representative of the Coordination headquarters for the treatment of prisoners of war in Ukraine Petro Yatsenko.
This tragedy once again emphasises the intensification of repression against journalists in the occupied territories, where freedom of speech is completely suppressed.
Indeed, under the prolonged occupation of Crimea, which began in 2014, the problem with freedom of speech on the peninsula has become widely relevant. In the beginning, journalists continued to work, but over time, Russian security forces increased the pressure and most of them were forced to leave Crimea. However, citizen journalism began to develop on the peninsula: ordinary people armed only with phones began to document human rights violations.
Russian occupation authorities repeatedly used violence against journalists, taking away phones, destroying video footage and resorting to physical abuse. Journalists were often subjected to pressure due to Russian legislation, which was used to suppress any expression of activism and independent journalism.
Already among the numerous political prisoners of the Kremlin are a number of activists, civic journalists, bloggers from Crimean Solidarity. A total of 22 Crimean journalists have been persecuted by the occupation authorities.
19 Crimean journalists and activists are now in the FSB’s custody: Aziz Azizov, Amet Suleymanov, Asan Akhtemov, Aleksey Bessarabov, Ernes Ametov, Iryna Danylovych, Marlen Asanov, Osman Arifmemetov, Remzi Bekirov, Riza Izetov, Ruslan Suleymanov, Rustem Osmanov, Rustem Sheikhaliev, Seyran Saliev, Sergey Tsygipa, Server Mustafayev, Timur Ibragimov, Vladyslav Yesypenko, Vilen Temerianov.
Three more journalists were released due to the end of their sentences or as part of exchanges: Nariman Dzhelyal, Nikolai Semena and Nariman Memedeminov.
Unfortunately, staying in places of detention of the rf can lead to deplorable consequences. Recall that due to inadequate conditions of detention in Russian FSB torture centers 2 political prisoners Dzhemil Gafarov and Konstantin Shiring have already died.
We see that the peninsula has been turned into a lawless territory with the lowest level of freedom of speech.
russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022 marked a new stage of brutal repression of independent journalism in Ukraine. Since the beginning of the Russian invasion, according to the Institute of Mass Information, the occupiers have killed 88 media workers, 11 of them while carrying out professional journalistic activities. Numerous regional media outlets in the temporarily occupied territories had to stop working due to threats, destruction of editorial offices, and inability to work under the temporary occupation.
The Crimean Tatar Resource Center calls on the international community to continue to increase pressure on the occupying state so that our compatriots can continue their professional activities and simply be able to live.