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Lithuanian MEP Becomes Mentor for 21-Year-Old Ukrainian Journalist Jailed by Russia
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![Photo of Liubava Petriv]( "Photo of Liubava Petriv")
Lithuanian Member of the European Parliament Petras Auštrevičius has agreed to become a mentor for 21-year-old Yana Suvorova, the administrator of the Telegram channel “Melitopol is Ukraine”, who was sentenced by a Russian court to 14 years in prison, Ukrainian MP Yevheniia Kravchuk announced on Facebook on November 13.
“For Petras, this is not his first experience,” Kravchuk wrote. “Earlier, he was the mentor of Dmytro Khilyuk, who was brought home on Independence Day. This week, Dmytro spoke before members of the European Parliament and shared his story a very powerful, emotional testimony.”
Kravchuk also expressed hope that the Temporary Investigative Commission of the Verkhovna Rada on Russian crimes against journalists, which she recently initiated, would soon begin its work.
“I will also do everything possible to ensure that every Ukrainian journalist in captivity has a mentor among European politicians—someone who keeps their name in the public space, advocates for them, and offers support,” she added. “We must bring everyone home.”
Suvorova was detained by Russian occupation forces in August 2023, when she was just 19 years old, along with five other journalists and administrators of the Telegram channels RIA Melitopol and Melitopol is Ukraine.
Following the arrests, Russian forces seized control of RIA Melitopol’s Telegram channel, using it to spread propaganda, while the original editorial team launched a new channel and chat to continue their independent reporting.
Earlier, it was reported that over the three years since Russia staged so-called “referendums” on the annexation of the occupied parts of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions, courts established by the occupation authorities have issued at least 190 convictions for “state treason,” “espionage,” and “confidential cooperation with foreigners.”
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-0158b6b681e3668f470de36aedad9e3c.jpg "Russian Su-24 bomber moments before Ukrainian drone strike, Crimea. (Source: HUR)")
