The European Union has taken decisive action against senior Russian prison officials linked to the death of Ukrainian journalist Viktoriia Roshchyna, who died after more than a year in extrajudicial detention.
A Harrowing Case of Injustice
Viktoriia Roshchyna, a 27-year-old journalist, was reporting on Russia's systematic policy of extrajudicial detention and torture in occupied Ukrainian territories when she herself became a victim. She spent nearly nine months imprisoned at pre-trial detention centre number 2 in Taganrog, a facility notorious for its brutal treatment of Ukrainian detainees.
Roshchyna died in captivity last year, and her body was only returned to Ukraine earlier this year. Upon examination, Ukrainian authorities made a shocking discovery: several of her internal organs were missing, including her brain, eyes, and larynx.
Evidence Points to Foul Play
An investigation conducted by the Viktoriia Project, a consortium including the Guardian and Ukrainska Pravda, uncovered disturbing details. Sources close to the official Ukrainian investigation revealed that post-mortem examination showed Roshchyna's hyoid bone was broken, damage consistent with strangulation.
The EU sanctions list targets senior officials from the Rostov region's penitentiary service where Roshchyna was held. Those named include:
- Andrei Polyakov, head of the service
- Aleksandr Shtoda, chief of Taganrog's remand prison No 2
- His deputies Andrei Mikhailichenko and Andrei Sapitsky
European officials state these men bear responsibility for the torture and deaths of 15 detainees at the remand prison.
Consequences and Commemoration
The sanctions mean an immediate asset freeze for those listed, and EU citizens and companies are prohibited from providing them with funds. They also face an EU-wide travel ban, preventing entry or transit through the bloc.
In August, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy posthumously awarded Roshchyna the Order of Freedom, writing on X that she received it for her unwavering belief that freedom would overcome everything.
These latest sanctions against Russian officials connected to the country's war machine come as Washington reportedly pressures Ukraine to accept a peace deal that could include provisions for a sweeping amnesty for Russia's wartime actions and the lifting of sanctions on Moscow.
