Latest news with #UkrainianProsecutorGeneral'sOffice
Telegraph
01-05-2025
- Telegraph
Torture signs on Ukrainian journalist who died in Russian captivity
The body of a Ukrainian journalist who died in Russian captivity showed signs of torture, including electric shocks, and was missing organs when it was returned to Ukraine by Moscow. Victoria Roshchyna, 27, was held incommunicado for months after going missing on a reporting trip in a Russian-occupied region of Ukraine in August 2023. Her corpse was returned as part of a February body exchange involving 757 dead Ukrainians, labelled incorrectly as 'an unidentified male' who died of heart failure. She was identified by DNA analysis in Ukraine. Ms Roshchyna's brain, eyeballs, and part of her windpipe were found to be missing after a Russian autopsy, her former colleagues at the Ukrainska Pravda news organisation, said. They said it could be an effort by Moscow to disguise her cause of death. Ukrainian prosecutors said forensic examination exposed 'numerous signs of torture and ill-treatment… including abrasions and haemorrhages on various parts of the body, a broken rib and possible traces of electric shock'. Yuriy Belousov, who heads the war crimes department at the Ukrainian Prosecutor General's Office, said experts had established the injuries were sustained while Ms Roshchyna was still alive. Investigators said that a bruise was found on her neck, along with a suspected fracture of the hyoid bone, which is a common indicator of strangulation. Mr Belousov said that the state of the body made it impossible to determine the cause of death, but Ukraine was working with international forensic experts to get more answers. Ms Roshchyna was deported from occupied Ukraine into Russia, where she was held without charge or trial. Thousands of other Ukrainian civilians have suffered a similar fate. Her father raised the alarm when she stopped responding to his messages while on assignment. Moscow admitted it was holding her nine months later. By September 2024, she was dead, but her family did not find out until they were notified by Russia a month later. She reportedly died while being transferred from a notorious detention facility in the southern Russian city of Taganrog to Moscow in preparation for her release as part of a prisoner exchange.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Yahoo
Torture signs on Ukrainian journalist who died in Russian captivity
The body of a Ukrainian journalist who died in Russian captivity showed signs of torture, including electric shocks, and was missing organs when it was returned to Ukraine by Moscow. Victoria Roshchyna, 27, was held incommunicado for months after going missing on a reporting trip in a Russian-occupied region of Ukraine in August 2023. Her corpse was returned as part of a February body exchange involving 757 dead Ukrainians, labelled incorrectly as 'an unidentified male' who died of heart failure. She was identified by DNA analysis in Ukraine. Ms Roshchyna's brain, eyeballs, and part of her windpipe were found to be missing after a Russian autopsy, her former colleagues at the Ukrainska Pravda news organisation, said. They said it could be an effort by Moscow to disguise her cause of death. Ukrainian prosecutors said forensic examination exposed 'numerous signs of torture and ill-treatment… including abrasions and haemorrhages on various parts of the body, a broken rib and possible traces of electric shock'. Yuriy Belousov, who heads the war crimes department at the Ukrainian Prosecutor General's Office, said experts had established the injuries were sustained while Ms Roshchyna was still alive. Investigators said that a bruise was found on her neck, along with a suspected fracture of the hyoid bone, which is a common indicator of strangulation. Mr Belousov said that the state of the body made it impossible to determine the cause of death, but Ukraine was working with international forensic experts to get more answers. Ms Roshchyna was deported from occupied Ukraine into Russia, where she was held without charge or trial. Thousands of other Ukrainian civilians have suffered a similar fate. Her father raised the alarm when she stopped responding to his messages while on assignment. Moscow admitted it was holding her nine months later. By September 2024, she was dead, but her family did not find out until they were notified by Russia a month later. She reportedly died while being transferred from a notorious detention facility in the southern Russian city of Taganrog to Moscow in preparation for her release as part of a prisoner exchange. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Yahoo
Body of Ukrainian journalist who died in Russian detention returned by Moscow with signs of torture and with missing organs
The body of a young Ukrainian woman who died in Russian captivity after being held incommunicado for months was returned to Ukraine showing signs of torture, Ukrainian prosecutors have said. Kyiv said the remains of journalist Victoria Roshchyna, who went missing during a reporting trip, were returned as part of a body exchange between Ukraine and Russia in February. Yuriy Belousov, who heads the war crimes department at the Ukrainian Prosecutor General's Office, said that forensic examination found 'numerous signs of torture and ill-treatment… including abrasions and hemorrhages on various parts of the body, a broken rib and possible traces of electric shock.' He said the experts have determined the injuries were sustained while Roshchyna was still alive. Russia is known to use electric shocks as a method of torture against detained Ukrainians, and the widespread nature of the practice was documented by CNN in the past. Belousov said that repeated DNA analyses confirmed the body belonged to Roshchyna, even though it reportedly arrived from Russia labeled as 'an unidentified male.' He said the state of the body made it impossible to determine the cause of Roshchyna's death, but added that Ukraine was working with international forensic experts to get more answers. Roshchyna's colleagues at Ukrainska Pravda said her body was returned from Russia with missing organs. Citing members of the investigating team who handled her remains, they said the brain, eyeballs and part of the trachea, or windpipe, were missing, in what they said could have been an attempt by Russia to disguise the cause of death. CNN has reached out to the Russian Federal Commissioner for Human Rights Tatyana Moskalkova and to the Russian penitentiary services for comment. Roshchyna went missing in August 2023. Her colleagues said the reporter went to a Russian-held part of Ukraine – a dangerous ordeal for any Ukrainian – to report on the lives of people living under occupation. Journalist Evgeniya Motorevskaya, who worked with Roshchyna as the former editor of Hromadske, a Ukrainian media outlet, said the young reporter was determined to do her job as best as she could. 'For her, there was nothing more important than journalism. Vika was always where the most important events for the country took place. And she would have continued to do this for many years, but the Russians killed her,' she said in a statement published on Hromadske's website when Roshchyna's death was first announced, referring to her by her diminutive. Roshchyna's father first raised the alarm when she stopped responding to messages while on the assignment, but her family had no idea about her whereabouts until nine months later, when Moscow finally admitted it was holding her in detention. Like thousands of other Ukrainian civilians, Roshchyna was snatched by Russian authorities in occupied Ukraine and deported into Russia where she was held without charge or trial. By September 2024, Roshchyna, a healthy 27-year old, was dead – although her family didn't find out until about a month later, when they received a notification from Russia. Petro Yatsenko, spokesperson for the Ukrainian Coordination Center for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, said in October that Roshchyna died while being transferred from a detention facility in the southern Russian city of Taganrog to Moscow. He said the transfer was in preparation for her release as part of a prisoner exchange. The detention facility in Taganrog is known for its cruel treatment of detainees. CNN has previously spoken to prisoners held there, who described being subjected to physical and psychological abuse, being given insufficient amounts of food and denied access to basic health care. Reporters with Ukrainska Pravda have partnered up with journalists from more than a dozen international media after her death was announced, to try to piece together what happened to her during the last few months of her life. They interviewed dozens of prisoners, as well as prison guards and human rights defenders. They were able to trace her movements and describe the brutality of her detention.
CNN
30-04-2025
- CNN
Body of Ukrainian journalist who died in Russian detention returned by Moscow with signs of torture
The body of a young Ukrainian woman who died in Russian captivity after being held incommunicado for months was returned to Ukraine showing signs of torture, Ukrainian prosecutors have said. Kyiv said the remains of journalist Victoria Roshchyna, who went missing during a reporting trip, were returned as part of a body exchange between Ukraine and Russia in February. Yuriy Belousov, who heads the war crimes department at the Ukrainian Prosecutor General's Office, said that forensic examination found 'numerous signs of torture and ill-treatment… including abrasions and hemorrhages on various parts of the body, a broken rib and possible traces of electric shock.' He said the experts have determined the injuries were sustained while Roshchyna was still alive. Russia is known to use electric shocks as a method of torture against detained Ukrainians, and the widespread nature of the practice was documented by CNN in the past. Belousov said that repeated DNA analyses confirmed the body belonged to Roshchyna, even though it reportedly arrived from Russia labeled as 'an unidentified male.' He said the state of the body made it impossible to determine the cause of Roshchyna's death, but added that Ukraine was working with international forensic experts to get more answers. Roshchyna's colleagues at Ukrainska Pravda said her body was returned from Russia with missing organs. Citing members of the investigating team who handled her remains, they said the brain, eyeballs and part of the trachea, or windpipe, were missing, in what they said could have been an attempt by Russia to disguise the cause of death. CNN has reached out to the Russian Federal Commissioner for Human Rights Tatyana Moskalkova and to the Russian penitentiary services for comment. Roshchyna went missing in August 2023. Her colleagues said the reporter went to a Russian-held part of Ukraine – a dangerous ordeal for any Ukrainian – to report on the lives of people living under occupation. Journalist Evgeniya Motorevskaya, who worked with Roshchyna as the former editor of Hromadske, a Ukrainian media outlet, said the young reporter was determined to do her job as best as she could. 'For her, there was nothing more important than journalism. Vika was always where the most important events for the country took place. And she would have continued to do this for many years, but the Russians killed her,' she said in a statement published on Hromadske's website when Roshchyna's death was first announced, referring to her by her diminutive. Roshchyna's father first raised the alarm when she stopped responding to messages while on the assignment, but her family had no idea about her whereabouts until nine months later, when Moscow finally admitted it was holding her in detention. Like thousands of other Ukrainian civilians, Roshchyna was snatched by Russian authorities in occupied Ukraine and deported into Russia where she was held without charge or trial. By September 2024, Roshchyna, a healthy 27-year old, was dead – although her family didn't find out until about a month later, when they received a notification from Russia. Petro Yatsenko, spokesperson for the Ukrainian Coordination Center for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, said in October that Roshchyna died while being transferred from a detention facility in the southern Russian city of Taganrog to Moscow. He said the transfer was in preparation for her release as part of a prisoner exchange. The detention facility in Taganrog is known for its cruel treatment of detainees. CNN has previously spoken to prisoners held there, who described being subjected to physical and psychological abuse, being given insufficient amounts of food and denied access to basic health care. Reporters with Ukrainska Pravda have partnered up with journalists from more than a dozen international media after her death was announced, to try to piece together what happened to her during the last few months of her life. They interviewed dozens of prisoners, as well as prison guards and human rights defenders. They were able to trace her movements and describe the brutality of her detention.
CNN
30-04-2025
- CNN
Body of Ukrainian journalist who died in Russian detention returned by Moscow with signs of torture
The body of a young Ukrainian woman who died in Russian captivity after being held incommunicado for months was returned to Ukraine showing signs of torture, Ukrainian prosecutors have said. Kyiv said the remains of journalist Victoria Roshchyna, who went missing during a reporting trip, were returned as part of a body exchange between Ukraine and Russia in February. Yuriy Belousov, who heads the war crimes department at the Ukrainian Prosecutor General's Office, said that forensic examination found 'numerous signs of torture and ill-treatment… including abrasions and hemorrhages on various parts of the body, a broken rib and possible traces of electric shock.' He said the experts have determined the injuries were sustained while Roshchyna was still alive. Russia is known to use electric shocks as a method of torture against detained Ukrainians, and the widespread nature of the practice was documented by CNN in the past. Belousov said that repeated DNA analyses confirmed the body belonged to Roshchyna, even though it reportedly arrived from Russia labeled as 'an unidentified male.' He said the state of the body made it impossible to determine the cause of Roshchyna's death, but added that Ukraine was working with international forensic experts to get more answers. Roshchyna's colleagues at Ukrainska Pravda said her body was returned from Russia with missing organs. Citing members of the investigating team who handled her remains, they said the brain, eyeballs and part of the trachea, or windpipe, were missing, in what they said could have been an attempt by Russia to disguise the cause of death. CNN has reached out to the Russian Federal Commissioner for Human Rights Tatyana Moskalkova and to the Russian penitentiary services for comment. Roshchyna went missing in August 2023. Her colleagues said the reporter went to a Russian-held part of Ukraine – a dangerous ordeal for any Ukrainian – to report on the lives of people living under occupation. Journalist Evgeniya Motorevskaya, who worked with Roshchyna as the former editor of Hromadske, a Ukrainian media outlet, said the young reporter was determined to do her job as best as she could. 'For her, there was nothing more important than journalism. Vika was always where the most important events for the country took place. And she would have continued to do this for many years, but the Russians killed her,' she said in a statement published on Hromadske's website when Roshchyna's death was first announced, referring to her by her diminutive. Roshchyna's father first raised the alarm when she stopped responding to messages while on the assignment, but her family had no idea about her whereabouts until nine months later, when Moscow finally admitted it was holding her in detention. Like thousands of other Ukrainian civilians, Roshchyna was snatched by Russian authorities in occupied Ukraine and deported into Russia where she was held without charge or trial. By September 2024, Roshchyna, a healthy 27-year old, was dead – although her family didn't find out until about a month later, when they received a notification from Russia. Petro Yatsenko, spokesperson for the Ukrainian Coordination Center for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, said in October that Roshchyna died while being transferred from a detention facility in the southern Russian city of Taganrog to Moscow. He said the transfer was in preparation for her release as part of a prisoner exchange. The detention facility in Taganrog is known for its cruel treatment of detainees. CNN has previously spoken to prisoners held there, who described being subjected to physical and psychological abuse, being given insufficient amounts of food and denied access to basic health care. Reporters with Ukrainska Pravda have partnered up with journalists from more than a dozen international media after her death was announced, to try to piece together what happened to her during the last few months of her life. They interviewed dozens of prisoners, as well as prison guards and human rights defenders. They were able to trace her movements and describe the brutality of her detention.
