Ukrainian journalist found dead in Russia, body returned with missing organs after reported torture.

Ukrainian journalist Viktoriia Roshchyna suffered severe torture during her detention in Russia, and multiple organs, including her brain, were reportedly removed before her body was returned, according to a recent investigation by Media News Source. Roshchyna, known for her courageous reporting on the human rights abuses in the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia region of Ukraine, was captured in August 2023. Her work aimed to shed light on the illegal detention and torture of Ukrainians, exposing the brutal realities faced by those held in captivity.

For more than a year, Roshchyna was held without formal charges or legal representation. Russian authorities did not confirm her arrest until April 2024, when the Defense Ministry notified her parents in a letter. Tragically, her death was announced by Ukraine’s Prisoners of War Coordination Headquarters in October, revealing that she had died on September 19 at the age of 27.

The circumstances surrounding her death raised significant concerns. Her body, returned to Ukraine in late February, was misidentified as that of an “unidentified male,” despite clear forensic evidence indicating it belonged to a woman. A subsequent DNA test confirmed a 99 percent probability that the remains were Roshchyna’s. Yet, her father remains skeptical about the identification and has called for further testing to verify the remains.

Reports indicate that Roshchyna faced extensive torture during her captivity, enduring four months at a covert facility in Melitopol before her transfer to a notoriously harsh pre-trial detention center in Taganrog in December 2023. The conditions in these facilities are described as atrocious, frequently referred to as “hell on Earth” for Ukrainian detainees.

According to findings from the investigation, Roshchyna’s body exhibited clear signs of torture, including various abrasions, broken ribs, neck injuries, and possible marks from electric shocks on her feet. Authorities also noted that an autopsy appeared to have been performed prior to the return of her remains, with missing organs such as her eyes and larynx suggesting an attempt to obscure the true cause of her death. The condition of her body, including a broken hyoid bone often associated with strangulation, complicates efforts to ascertain the exact circumstances surrounding her demise.

The case of Viktoriia Roshchyna serves as a sobering reminder of the dangers faced by journalists covering conflict and human rights issues, as well as the ongoing humanitarian crisis resulting from the war in Ukraine.