““We must use all possible platforms to shout about journalists in captivity.””, — write: www.pravda.com.ua
Journalists in captivity have become one of the main priorities for the parliamentary Committee on Freedom of Speech. There are many challenges, as everywhere. Combating disinformation and pressure on the mass media, the formation of a more critical approach to obtaining information in society, the (in)effectiveness of the telethon… All these topics are important, but imprisoned media persons are a separate story. Because this is a matter of life and death.
We managed to free Maksym Butkevich, but the death of Viktoria Roshchyna is tellingDuring the summer-autumn of 2024, we had three different cases regarding the release of journalists from Russian imprisonment. Looking ahead, I will say that the return of media workers (even non-combatants) is an extremely difficult and shaky procedure. The Russians delay such exchanges as much as possible.
Although with Nariman Jelyal everything was successful. He was a civilian, a representative of the Crimean Tatar people and the deputy chairman of the Mejlis, when he was detained by the FSB in 2021 in the temporarily occupied Crimea. It is noteworthy that before that, Nariman traveled to Kyiv on the Crimean platform.
The Russian courts and security forces could fabricate his case in any way, which they did. The Supreme Court of Crimea, under the control of the Russian Federation, announced the verdict – the media man was sentenced to 17 years in prison for allegedly planned sabotage. After spending more than two years in detention, Jelal returned to the controlled territory as part of an exchange on June 28, 2024. This is a successful example of the work of the Coordination Staff on the treatment of prisoners of war and all involved parties.
Far worse was the incident with Victoria Roshchyna. FSB agents detained her twice: at the beginning of the invasion, when she was in the Russian occupation of Zaporizhzhia, and in the summer of 2023, when she voluntarily went to uncontrolled territories to show the world what horrors Ukrainians are experiencing in the occupied lands. Victoria never returned home alive.
She was supposed to be returned in the fall of 2024, but she died during staging. I emphasize: Victoria is a civilian, not a combatant. She did not pose any military threat, but they kept her in terrible conditions, not caring about the woman’s health. And instead of exchange – death. Moreover, now, according to my information, the Russians are delaying even the return of her body to the family.
Maksym Butkevich were kept in Russian captivity for more than two years. He fell into the hands of the enemy as a soldier, and in civilian life he was an activist and journalist – at various times he worked for 1+1, STB and the BBC. And the Russians also did not want to return the media man for as long as possible. Publicity helped.
Max is one of the most talked about, the most demanded release. Both in Ukraine and around the world. And it gave results – on October 18, we learned about the release of a combatant with a journalistic background. This is a real happiness and a great success, because a military + media person is a combination that encourages the Russians not to give up our people to the last.
The Russian Federation uses journalists in captivity Roman Borshch began his military career during the ATO. As a volunteer and journalist, he often traveled to the front and helped foreign media cover the war. In 2018, Roman felt that only volunteering and journalistic activities would not be enough and mobilized, joining the marines. At the time, at the age of 22, Roman had an excellent resume as a media person, was a plasterer and an active citizen. In 2021, he was demobilized.
But he could not help but go to the great war. Therefore, as a marine, he met the enemy in Mariupol. He was captured in March 2022, he was given the opportunity to inform his family.
Due to his media activities, Roman became not only a prisoner, but also a hostage of Russian propaganda. Russian television used a military man to show the allegedly good conditions of prisoners of war. In the plot, Borscht talks about “excellent” housing conditions, good food, etc. And the Russians are in no hurry to return it.
For the Russian Federation, people like Roman are very valuable for exchange. Because it is prisoners of war with media experience who can then best convey everything that people in Russian prisons are going through. We saw this on the example of Maksym Butkevych, who attended a meeting with the President of Ukraine and through pain talked about his experience at public events. Listening to Butkevich’s words is difficult, but everyone should. To feel, at least for a little bit, how our people are treated there.
Russians are wary of this. They do not want defenders and journalists returned from captivity to talk extensively and professionally about their experiences. And who, if not people with experience working in the mass media, knows how to speak professionally, placing accents and conveying their messages? This forces more talk about Russian (often illegal) captivity in the West, which increases the pressure on the Russian Federation.
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The above-mentioned examples are convincing: Russia will not give up Ukrainian media workers to the last. We are now aware of at least 30 civilian journalists who are illegally held in Russian prisons. The example of Viktoria Roshchyna showed that even an agreement to exchange from the Russian Federation still does not guarantee anything. Some of our people are too valuable for them.
The examples of Nariman Dzhelal and Maksym Butkevich are inspiring. They show that the Russians can keep our natives from the media for years, but exchange is possible. And the only way to promote this is to give publicity. Only publicity creates significant pressure, to which the Russian Federation is forced to respond and return our journalists to us. Those whom they do not want to give away.
Today we must use all possible platforms to shout about journalists in captivity. Ukrainian and foreign media, human rights and security platforms, squares and streets of cities around the world – all this can be a tool to remind the world: the Russian Federation is illegally detaining dozens of media representatives in terrible conditions. They should return home as soon as possible. Roman Borshch is one of those we are waiting for in the controlled territory.
Delays lead to deterioration of health. We have already seen the worst scenario in the case of Victoria Roshchyna. Only international publicity can help make this death the first and last. And exchange – as soon as possible.
Yaroslav Yurchyshyn