We must return Ukrainian journalists still imprisoned in Russia
On Nov. 15, the global community marks the Day of the Imprisoned Writer, also known as Empty Chair Day. You will not find this date in traditional calendars of public holidays, but that does not diminish the gravity of a day that reminds the world of hundreds — if not thousands — of unlawfully imprisoned writers, journalists, media workers, and cultural figures. Empty Chair Day was established by…
On November 15th, the global community observes Day of the Imprisoned Writer, also referred to as Empty Chair Day. This date, although not recognized in traditional public holiday calendars, holds significant importance as it highlights the plight of hundreds to potentially thousands of journalists, artists, and cultural figures unlawfully detained, held captive, or missing due to their work and beliefs.
This initiative, initiated by PEN International in 2018, now extends into Ukraine, aiming to bring back voices silenced by Russia's attempts to erase them. In a world where freedom of speech is a fundamental principle, journalists should never be hostages, and torture is unequivocally a crime. Russia, however, is making concerted efforts to silence independent journalists, who are tasked with reporting facts and providing unbiased coverage of reality.
While the exact number of Ukrainian media workers currently held in Russian captivity remains uncertain, estimates vary. The Institute of Mass Information (IMI) claims at least 27 Ukrainian journalists are unlawfully detained, 17 of whom are from temporarily occupied Crimea. Crimean Tatar Resource Center, on the other hand, states there are 20 Crimean journalists behind bars, adding that occupation courts have convicted 29 civilian media workers from the peninsula.
Petro Yatsenko, a representative from the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, asserts a figure of 45 Ukrainian journalists and media activists, with 33 cases confirmed and seven missing.
The issue, however, extends beyond the lack of centralized data collection by Ukrainian institutions. Russia deliberately violates international rules on the detention and exchange of civilians and systematically isolates journalists from any connection to the outside world. Russia's withdrawal from the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture (ECPT) has further exacerbated the situation, making it increasingly difficult to ascertain the fate, health status, and detention conditions of captives.
This political decision abolishes the committee's monitoring mandate in Russia, hindering any independent international oversight of Russian detention facilities.
Written by urgent.news from Kyiv Independent's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
