Dear friends,
Being a Ukrainian journalist can land you 16 years in prison.
Last week, two Ukrainian journalists, Heorhiy Levtchenko and Vladyslav Hershon, were sentenced by Russian courts to 16 years and 15 years in prison, respectively, after two years in detention. In August 2023, they were arrested in the occupied Ukrainian city of Melitopol along with other journalists and administrators of two Ukrainian Telegram channels. Their crime? Reporting the facts on Russia’s full-scale invasion without bowing to Kremlin propaganda.
These sentences are harrowing for the two seasoned journalists and the three other media professionals arrested alongside them still awaiting trial. The last journalist arrested in this round-up, Anastasia Hloukhovska has been missing ever since.
Twenty-six Ukrainian media professionals remain imprisoned by the Kremlin, either in occupied territories or in Russia. Their conditions are shocking: they’re denied medical care and even subjected to forced labour. Detention in Russia can kill. Journalist Victoria Roshchyna, who died in captivity in September 2024, is proof.
The Kremlin is bent on muzzling reliable Ukrainian reporting. But together, we can break this silence.
Help us fight for Ukrainian journalists and restore their media outlets. Your support allows us to continue providing them with safety equipment, investigate the cases of missing reporters and advocate internationally for their cause. Make a donation to RSF to support imprisoned journalists worldwide.
