Ukrainian journalist Viktoriia Roshchyna died in Russian custody on September 19, 2024, at Pre-Trial Detention Center No. 3 in the city of Kizel, Perm Krai. Initially held in a detention center in Taganrog, Rostov Oblast, she was transferred to Kizel eight days before her death, according to an investigation by Slidstvo.Info (source).
Her death certificate, issued by the Leninsky Department of the Civil Registry Office in Perm, confirms she died in Kizel. The Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine also verified these facts.
According to a released Ukrainian serviceman, Roshchyna appeared emaciated but could walk unaided. He reported that detainees in Kizel endured brutal beatings and psychological pressure. Women prisoners, he said, were shaved bald. These claims were confirmed by Mediazona, which reported that several Ukrainian prisoners were transferred to Kizel from Taganrog in the fall of 2024 (source).
After her death, Roshchyna’s body was returned to Ukraine without certain internal organs, raising serious concerns about torture and human rights violations in Russian detention facilities.
Perm Krai, historically known as a place of mass repression and exile — sometimes called “the prison of nations” — has again become a site of tragedy, continuing its grim legacy.
Viktoriia Roshchyna, 27, was taken prisoner in August 2023 in Enerhodar during the Russian occupation of the Zaporizhzhia region. She worked as a freelance reporter for Ukrainska Pravda. Held in various detention facilities in both occupied Ukraine and Russia, she reportedly suffered severe torture and extreme weight loss, down to 30 kilograms, before her death (source).
Human rights organizations and the international community call for a full, independent investigation into her death and demand accountability for those responsible.
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