The international human rights organization Reporters Without Borders has called for the immediate release of Crimean civil journalist Irina Danilovich. According to the organization, she has been held in a Russian prison under harsh conditions for four years following her abduction by FSB agents.
This is reported by Finway
Conditions of Detention and Health Status of Irina Danilovich
Reporters Without Borders emphasize that Irina Danilovich is serving a seven-year sentence imposed after an unfair trial. For a long time, she has not received adequate medical care, despite losing hearing in one ear due to acute otitis in the detention center. Furthermore, the journalist has reported the use of so-called invisible torture, including torture with bright lights and loud music. After this information was disclosed, an inspection at the colony found no violations.
On March 31, Irina Danilovich’s sister stated that FSVP employees are “deliberately driving Irina to death.” Danilovich was deported from Crimea to Russia nearly two years ago and has been in custody for over three years in total.
International Reaction and Position of Reporters Without Borders
The organization’s regional representative in Ukraine, Pauline Mofre, noted that Russia systematically applies psychological torture against Ukrainian journalists, deprives them of medical assistance, and geographically isolates them. She cited the case of Victoria Roshchina, who died in Kremlin prisons.
“RWB has already documented this in the case of Ukrainian journalist Victoria Roshchina, who died in Kremlin prisons. Irina Danilovich has been arbitrarily detained for over three years, and she was deported from Crimea to Russia nearly two years ago. She must be released, and the EU must continue its efforts to free all Ukrainian journalists still held in custody,” she stated.
Before her imprisonment, Irina Danilovich worked as a nurse and published materials on the rights of medical workers and healthcare issues on the occupied peninsula. In her last statement, the journalist emphasized that the case against her is a “show trial” and expressed her belief that “Crimea will again become a free place.”
On December 27, 2022, a Russian court in Crimea sentenced Irina Danilovich to seven years in prison on charges of possession of explosives.