The body of Ukrainian journalist Viktoria Roshchyna was returned to Ukraine in February after being held in Russian captivity, but it was found to have been gruesomely mutilated, according to an international investigation.
Roshchyna, who disappeared in August 2023 while reporting on Russia’s network of unofficial detention centers, was handed back to Kyiv in a badly labeled coffin marked “unidentified male” as part of a prisoner exchange. DNA tests later confirmed the body belonged to the 27-year-old journalist.
Forensic experts discovered that Roshchyna’s body had been subjected to torture and mutilation. Her eyeballs, brain, and part of her throat had been removed. Her head was shaved, and her neck bore bruising, while a tag with her last name was attached to her shin. Burn marks were also found on her feet. Officials familiar with the ongoing investigation by the Ukrainian Prosecutor General’s Office said the body showed signs of significant abuse.
Medical examiners also found that Roshchyna had suffered a broken rib and showed possible traces of electric shock. The body was only officially confirmed to be hers on April 24.
Roshchyna was the first Ukrainian journalist to die in Russian captivity. She had been missing since August 2023 when she was detained while investigating allegations of secret detention facilities operated by Russia. Although initially reported dead in October, her father, Volodymyr Roshchyn, held onto the hope that she might still be alive until the body was repatriated and identified.
During her time in detention, Roshchyna was held at the Taganrog SIZO-2 prison in Rostov, a facility often compared to Guantanamo Bay due to its notorious reputation for abuse. She was reportedly transferred to this prison in critical condition, following her detention in the cities of Enerhodar and Melitopol.
A former cellmate of Roshchyna revealed that she had refused a deal offered by a Russian serviceman, saying she “always stuck to her principles.” On October 10, Roshchyna’s father received a letter from Russian authorities informing him of her death, though it provided no details on how she had died.
The investigation into her death has highlighted severe human rights violations during her captivity, including being held incommunicado, which is forbidden under international law.
