Ukrainian Journalist Anastasiia Hlukhovska Tortured, Held Incommunicado for Over Two Years by Russian Forces

Ukrainian journalist Anastasiia Hlukhovska of RIA-Melitopol has been held in Russian custody for over two years, allegedly subjected to torture, with her whereabouts officially denied by Russian authorities. Hlukhovska was reportedly arrested by Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) officers in occupied Melitopol on August 20, 2023, and has since been held without formal charges under an "incommunicado" status.

The severe conditions of her detention were highlighted by a recent social media post from Tymofiy Mylovanov, who stated, "> For two years, Russians have tortured and hidden Ukrainian journalist Anastasiia Hlukhovska. She’s still somewhere in their prisons. Witnesses say guards electrocuted her in a basement chamber. Her screams echoed through the cells." This account aligns with reports from Slidstvo.Info, which obtained testimony from a woman held with Hlukhovska, confirming she was tortured with electricity in a makeshift detention site in Melitopol.

Following her initial detention, Hlukhovska was transferred to Pre-Trial Detention Centre No. 2 in Taganrog, Russia, and subsequently to Detention Centre No. 3 in Kizel, Perm Krai. This Kizel facility has been linked to the deaths of other Ukrainian prisoners, including Dniprorudne Mayor Yevhen Matveyev and journalist Viktoriia Roshchyna. Despite video evidence of her arrest, Russian authorities, including the FSB and Investigative Committee, have officially denied detaining Hlukhovska or knowing her location.

The international organization Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has made repeated inquiries to Russian authorities regarding Hlukhovska's status but has received no response. Pauline Moffret, a representative for RSF in Ukraine, explained that "Anastasiia Hlukhovska is being held incommunicado," meaning her detention is not acknowledged and no charges are brought. This lack of official recognition leaves her family without information about her well-being.

Hlukhovska's colleagues, Heorhii Levchenko and Vladyslav Hershon, who were detained around the same time, have already been sentenced to 16 and 15 years in prison, respectively, on charges such as "public calls for extremist activity" and espionage. The continued lack of charges against Hlukhovska, despite her prolonged detention and alleged torture, underscores the precarious situation faced by journalists in Russian-occupied territories.