Journalist Viktoria Roshchyna’s case reclassified as war crime combined with intentional murder

In connection with the information about the death of the Ukrainian journalist Viktoria Roshchyna, who died while in the captivity of the russian federation, the criminal proceedings opened on the fact of her disappearance were upgraded to a war crime combined with intentional murder.

This is reported by the Prosecutor General's Office.

After information about the death of Ukrainian journalist Viktoria Roshchyna, who was illegally detained by the russian federation, appeared in the mass media, the prosecutor's office decided to supplement the qualifications of the case.

"In connection with this, the criminal proceedings initiated due to the fact of her disappearance under Part 1 of Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine have been qualified under Part 2 of Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine - violation of the laws and customs of war, combined with intentional murder. Pre-trial investigation under the procedural management of the Prosecutor General’s Office will be carried out by the Main Investigative Department of the Security Service of Ukraine," the statement of the Prosecutor General's Office reads.

As previously reported, Viktoria Roshchyna disappeared in August 2023 during a trip to the territories occupied by russia. In April 2024, russia confirmed for the first time that it was illegally holding her. The day before, the head of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Freedom of Speech, Yaroslav Yurchyshyn, announced that the journalist had died in captivity.