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Victoria Roshchyna, Tortured to Death by Russia, and Imprisoned Ukrainian Journalists Receive Human Rights Award
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The international human rights organization Reach All Women in War (RAW in War) has named several journalists held in Russian captivity and occupied territories as recipients of the 2026 Anna Politkovskaya Award , as reported by Detector media on October 6.
The announcement honors media workers reporting on Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and human rights abuses while detained by Russian authorities.
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Prominently recognized among the recipients is Victoria Roshchyna, a Ukrainian journalist who documented war crimes during Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and died in Russian custody in September 2024 following torture and mistreatment.
Other Ukrainian media professionals awarded include Melitopol journalist Iryna Levchenko, who was sentenced by Russia to 15 years in a penal colony on espionage charges.
The honors also recognized RIA Melitopol reporter Anastasiya Hlukhovska, held in Russian captivity since August 2023, and Yana Suvorova, a local Telegram channel administrator sentenced to 14 years on terrorism and espionage charges.
Crimean journalist Iryna Danylovych, who was detained in April 2022, was also recognized. She received a 7-year sentence from an occupation court and has suffered severe health deterioration due to poor conditions and torture during her imprisonment, Detector media reported.
The nomination committee cited the courage of these Ukrainian media workers who risked their lives and freedom to report on Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and protest human rights violations. RAW in War called for the immediate release of all detained journalists and stated that those responsible for abuses and torture in custody must face justice.
The award marks 20 years since the assassination of Russian investigative journalist Anna Politkovskaya on October 7. Founded in 2006 by Bulgarian journalist and human rights defender Mariana Katzarova, RAW in War presents the annual prize to honor women working in active regions who protect human rights at great personal risk.
Anna Politkovskaya was a prominent Russian investigative journalist, author, and human rights activist known for her reporting on Russia’s full-scale invasion of Chechnya and exposure of state corruption and human rights abuses by Russian forces.
She was assassinated on October 7, 2006, after being shot dead in the elevator of her Moscow apartment building in a targeted contract killing linked to her reporting.
The persecution and illegal sentencing of Ukrainian media workers coincides with broader violations of international law by Russian forces against Ukrainian captives. Previously, it was reported that Russian forces have established a specialized combat brigade made up of Ukrainian prisoners of war and Ukrainians coerced into defecting.
Forcing prisoners of war into military service would violate international law governing the treatment of captives. The reported use of POWs for military purposes also follows broader patterns of coercion and abuse documented in Russian detention facilities, where Ukrainian captives have reported systematic torture, deliberate deprivation of food, and other forms of physical and psychological abuse.
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