PACE calls on Russia to release Ukrainian journalists from captivity – MP
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) called on the Russian Federation to release 26 Ukrainian journalists from captivity, said Yevhenia Kravchuk (Servant of the People faction), a member of the permanent delegation of the Verkhovna Rada to PACE.
"The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe adopted a resolution I authored, 'Journalists matter: the need to intensify efforts to release Ukrainian journalists held captive by the Russian Federation,'" Kravchuk posted on Facebook on Wednesday.
According to her, the resolution was supported by 128 PACE delegates.
She emphasized that the document notes that since the beginning of the full-scale war, more than 800 crimes against journalists and media outlets by Russia have been recorded, and 26 Ukrainian journalists are still in Russian captivity.
Kravchuk explained that the resolution demands that Russia immediately release all Ukrainian journalists illegally held in Russian prisons and occupied territories, provide information about their whereabouts and health, and allow the International Committee of the Red Cross access to them. The resolution also demands that Russia cease its practice of torture, murder, and persecution of journalists, which has been ongoing for years—first in occupied Crimea and, starting in 2022, in other territories.
"For the first time, the PACE Resolution uses the term 'civil journalists.' Specifically, it notes that citizen journalists in Crimea take daily risks to cover the events of the occupation. These are primarily not professional journalists, but Crimean Tatar activists and relatives of political prisoners, most of whom are forced to work anonymously for their own safety. They are often the victims of persecution," the MP wrote.
She also noted that the resolution introduces an annual commemorative ceremony at PACE – Victory for Victoria.
"This will be a separate day during the autumn session, when we will honor journalists and war correspondents who risk their lives in the performance of their professional duties. The name was chosen in honor of Ukrainian journalist Viktoria Roschina, who was captured by Russian soldiers, tortured, and died in captivity," Kravchuk emphasized.
According to Kravchuk, PACE also called on Council of Europe member states to support Ukrainian journalists financially, through mentoring programs, and by integrating those forced to leave into European newsrooms.