freedom of speech
At the UN, Ukraine highlighted systematic persecution of journalists in Russian-occupied territories
Ukraine called on the international community to demand the release of all illegally detained journalists and to strengthen the response to Russian information campaigns
“We don’t know whether she is alive”: Story of Anastasiia Hlukhovska, journalist abducted in Melitopol
Journalist’s relatives learned of her detention from acquaintances. According to available information, at around 5 a.m. on August 20, 2023, a group of men in unmarked military uniforms forced their way into her apartment. They carried out a search and seized computers, mobile phones, USB drives, and other equipment
Ukrainian Maryna Riff has disappeared in occupied Crimea – human rights advocates speak of possible persecution
Ryff did not obtain Russian documents during the occupation
“Driving her to death”: the sister of Crimean activist Iryna Danylovych spoke about the conditions in a Russian colony
According to Danylovych's sister, appeals to the duty unit sometimes help, but more often, she is ignored or rudely refused treatment
CPJ urges Ukraine to investigate threats against journalists following International Legion unit exposé
The investigation, co-published on February 18, 2026, revealed allegations of abuse and torture within a Brazilian-led foreign fighter unit operating under an international DIU unit called the International Legion, which led to the death of a 23-year-old Brazilian recruit on a Kyiv military base in late December 2025
“He wanted Henichesk to have its own voice”. The story of Hennadii Osmak, a journalist imprisoned by Russian occupying forces
To learn more about the journalist’s work and the circumstances of his detention and imprisonment, ZMINA spoke with his colleague and a person close to the journalist, whose name we cannot disclose for safety reasons
Children in one of the schools in occupied Sevastopol are being militarized by Russian militant Pavel Klyasyuk
1.6 million Ukrainian children might have remained under Russian occupation. Their militarization intensified with the start of the full-scale war, although it has been ongoing in Crimea and parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions since 2014
Human rights activists have identified 25 individuals involved in the persecution of citizen journalist Remzi Bekirov
Those implicated in Bekirov’s persecution include Russian judges, prosecutors, and Federal Security Service (FSB) officers. A journalist and activist with the "Crimean Solidarity" movement, Bekirov has faced harassment since 2017. Following his arrest in 2019, he was held in Russian pretrial detention centers and penal colonies under inhumane conditions, subjected to forced transfers and psychiatric evaluations, and denied the full right to a legal defense
In Denmark, sculptures about the war by Ukrainian artist Maria Kulikovska were destroyed at exhibition
Commenting on the events in Copenhagen, Kulikovska explained that she sees the same logic in them – the destruction of art as a form of political pressure and an attack on a defenseless body. She understands that the sculptures were intentionally broken and views their destruction as the beginning of a period of mourning and a shift toward a more radical artistic language
Reporters Without Borders has spoken out against amnesty for Russian crimes against journalists in Ukraine
The human rights organization emphasized that even if a peace agreement is concluded, impunity for attacks on journalists is unacceptable, as it undermines the possibility of a just and lasting peace
The Verkhovna Rada Committee on Freedom of Speech condemned the pressure on journalists in Crimea following the detention of Lenora Dyulber
The committee's statement notes that the persecution of journalists violates international law and is aimed at suppressing any independent information about the situation under occupation
“Sharper than physical pain – the feeling of helplessness”: speech of the imprisoned journalist
Iryna Danylovych, a Crimean civic journalist and activist who has been held in Russian custody since 2022, has been named a laureate of the "Story of Injustice" human rights prize, which honors victims of political persecution. On November 3, 2025, in Prague, Tetyana Pechonchyk, head of the Human Rights Centre ZMINA, accepted the award on behalf of Iryna Danylovych and delivered her speech. ZMINA published the text of that speech
You sit like a potted plant: you may be watered, or you may not, and then you will wither – journalist Dmytro Khyliuk. A story of captivity and freedom
ZMINA met with Dmytro Khyliuk at the hospital where he is currently undergoing treatment and rehabilitation. She spoke with him about the first days of the occupation of the Kyiv region, the conditions of detention for Ukrainians in Russian colonies, what helped him maintain his psychological resilience in captivity, and what he plans to do in the future
“Gestapo methods”: political prisoner Iryna Danylovych calls on the European Parliament to condemn torture in a Russian colony where she is held
Danylovych stated that the administration of women’s penal colony No. 7 in Zelenokumsk, Stavropol Krai, is creating "endless hell" for prisoners.
Occupied Crimea: locals judged daily for “Army Fakes”
Occupation courts are persecuting cases of so-called "discreditation of the Russian army" on a daily basis in Crimea
In a Russian penal colony, Kremlin prisoner Iryna Danylovych can’t receive the essential medication she requires
The absence of treatment not only causes constant earache, but also means that Danylovych regularly suffers from migraines. Despite this, she does not receive any medication to alleviate her condition
Hromadske Radio seeks 700,000 hryvnias to broadcast along the frontline
The funds are needed for content production, transmitter fees, and the functioning of the editorial office
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine accused the social network X of concealing Russian war crimes
The hidden post contained only statistical data – information about at least 616 Ukrainian children killed by Russia and 1,869 injured since the beginning of the full-scale invasion
Columns
Only 5% of those responsible for deporting Ukrainian children face global sanctions
The human safari: How Russia weaponized precision against Ukrainian civilians
The lesson of Crimea: Rewarding aggression only invites more war
Not just Ukraine — Russia is preparing Ukrainian children for future wars elsewhere
