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April 25, 2025 – Russia/Ukraine –
Ukraine is in mourning and outrage following the shocking revelation that a Ukrainian journalist who died in Russian captivity had been brutally tortured, with his body returned missing vital organs. The case has reignited international concern over the treatment of Ukrainian civilians, particularly media workers, held in Russian prisons amid the ongoing war.
The journalist, whose name has not been publicly released at the request of the family, was one of over 30 Ukrainian media professionals currently or previously held by Russian forces. Ukrainian authorities confirmed that an autopsy revealed the journalist had been subjected to severe abuse, including mutilation, before dying in captivity. Even more disturbingly, several internal organs were found to be missing, raising suspicions of organ harvesting or an attempt to obscure forensic evidence.
This case is part of a broader pattern of systemic abuse. Investigations by Ukrainian officials and international human rights monitors suggest that journalists, along with political prisoners and civilians, have been subjected to torture, starvation, mock executions, and psychological abuse in Russian-controlled detention facilities. These practices violate international humanitarian law and may constitute war crimes.
The Moscow Times reported that such torture is not isolated but appears to be part of an organized system of repression designed to extract confessions, intimidate the Ukrainian population, and dismantle the country’s free press. Russian authorities have denied these claims or deflected responsibility, while continuing to limit access to international observers and the Red Cross.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the killing and called for stronger international pressure on Russia, including new sanctions and accountability mechanisms. Ukrainian advocacy groups and international press freedom organizations, including Reporters Without Borders, are demanding an independent investigation into the journalist’s death and the conditions faced by detainees.
The brutal death of this journalist has become a grim symbol of the high price paid by those trying to report the truth in wartime. It also serves as a reminder of the urgent need to protect journalists in conflict zones and hold perpetrators of such atrocities to account.
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