Victoria Roshchyna's body not given back to Ukraine in October 18 swap

Victoria Roshchyna. Photo by Victoria Roshchyna on Facebook / divoche.media

The body of journalist Victoria Roshchyna, who died in Russian captivity, was not given back to Ukraine as part of the October 18 swap, reported to Suspilne Petro Yatsenko, a representative of the Coordinating Headquarters for POW Treatment.

"Victoria's body was not handed over for repatriation on October 18. The Coordinating Headquarters for POW Treatment is doing everything possible and impossible to get all the answers to the questions that worry everyone in our society," Yatsenko said.

He added that it is too early to discuss the causes of the journalist's death, in particular, whether she faced torture.

"We began working to repatriate Victoria Roshchyna's body immediately after being notified of her death. This work is in progress. Unfortunately, it all depends on the opposite party, so we cannot say the exact date of repatriation," he added.

Petro Yatsenko believes that Russia may be stalling with the repatriation to hide the evidence of a possible crime.

On October 18, Petro Yatsenko, a representative of the Coordinating Headquarters for POW Treatment, did not deny that Russia could be stalling with the repatriation of her body.

Previously

The death of Ukrainian journalist Victoria Roshchyna in Russian detention was reported on October 10, 2024. According to the letter sent to her family by Russia's Ministry of Defense on October 10, Victoria died on September 19.

Dmytro Lubinets, the Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights, said that he had official documentary confirmation of Victoria Roshchyna's death from Russia's side.

Victoria Roshchyna's name was on the swap lists.

Earlier, Russia admitted detaining Victoria Roshchyna, who went missing on August 3, 2023 in the temporarily occupied territory. Victoria was held in Russia.

On October 11, the police reclassified the case opened previously over Roshchyna's disappearance (Part 1 of Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine) as Part 2 of Article 438 of the CCU: violation of the laws and customs of war combined with premediated murder.

According to the Media Initiative for Human Rights, Victoria Roshchyna was detained in one of the most brutal prisons in Russia – the Taganrog PTDC No. 2. Former prisoners talk about this detention center as a prison with the most intense torture.