Ukrainian Democracy and Victory hub. Ukrainian journalists Held in Russian Captivity

Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in Ukraine, the issue of missing and unlawfully detained persons, including journalists, has become critical. Journalists are frequently targeted for documenting war crimes and reporting the truth from occupied territories. Free the Voices is a documentary film created by the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine (NUJU). The film tells the 6 stories of journalists who survived Russian captivity as well as those who have not yet returned, bringing together facts that are being made public for the first time. Among them is the story of Viktoria Roshchyna - a journalist who went missing while covering events in the occupied territories and died in Russian captivity in September 2024 at the age of 27, an incident officially classified by Ukraine as a war crime. According to NUJU’s verified data, at least 28 Ukrainian journalists are currently missing or held in detention, and the fate of many remains unknown. During the event, we will host a screening of the documentary (20 minites), followed by a panel discussion on the current situation of illegaly detained media workers and the advocacy steps expected from the international community.