"There will be a separate PACE resolution": the Rada assured that Ukraine will communicate about Roshchyna's murder at all international platforms

Ukraine will raise the issue of the murder of Ukrainian journalist Viktoria Roshchyna by Russians at all international platforms. In particular, it will seek a separate resolution from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on journalists held captive by the occupiers.

As for the investigation into the circumstances of Roshchyna's death, who has been in Russian captivity since August last year, it will be possible only after the journalist's body is returned to Ukraine. This was stated by Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Humanitarian and Information Policy Yevhenia Kravchuk, Ukrinform reported.

"Ukraine will talk about this case, about the actual murder of a Ukrainian journalist, on all international platforms. We will certainly continue the relevant advocacy work in the PACE, and there will be a separate resolution on the captured journalists. And, of course, I will initiate a hearing on this issue in PACE as a rapporteur so that absolutely all representatives – deputies of a number of PACE member states – can hear this terrible case of Victoria," the MP emphasized.

At the same time, when Kravchuk was asked about a full investigation into the circumstances of Victoria Roshchyna's death in the Russian Federation, she noted that it would be possible to establish how the journalist died only after the occupiers return her body to Ukraine.

Journalist Viktoria Roshchyna worked for the hromadske media outlet and was a freelance writer for a number of other Ukrainian media outlets. At the end of July 2023, she left Ukraine for Poland with the aim of eventually reaching the temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine.

Starting from August 3, communication with her was cut off.

Nothing was known about Roshchyna's fate for a long time, until in April 2024, when the Russian side admitted that it was holding the journalist in captivity.

Since then, Ukraine has sought to include the 27-year-old in the exchange lists, and eventually, as noted by Andriy Yusov, a representative of the Main Intelligence Directorate, Russia agreed to return Roshchyna. In preparation for the exchange, the journalist had already been transferred from Taganrog to Moscow's Lefortovo prison, from where she was to return to Ukraine.

However, the other day, Roshchyna's father received a response from the Russian Ministry of Defense to his appeal of August 28: the man was informed that his daughter had died during the transfer on September 19, 2024, without specifying the cause of death. The occupiers also stated that her body would be returned "to the Ukrainian side as part of the exchange of detainees' bodies."

On October 6, Roshchyna would have turned 28 years old.

Currently, the proceedings opened earlier by the Security Service of Ukraine regarding the disappearance of the journalist have been reclassified under the article on war crime combined with premeditated murder.

Ukrinform adds that 29 Ukrainian journalists are currently held captive by the Russian Federation.

As a reminder, the death of journalist Victoria Roshchyna in Russian captivity became known on October 11. The occupiers said that she died while being transferred to Moscow.

The United States of America and the European Union have reacted to the death of Ukrainian journalist Victoria Roshchyna in Russian captivity. In numerous statements, the girl's murder was interpreted as further evidence of the repression of Ukrainians by the aggressor state of Russia, as well as a blatant attack on freedom of speech.

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