Arbitrary detentions and enforced disappearances of Ukrainian women journalists by Russia

Join the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine (NUJU), in partnership with the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), PEN America, and the European Union Delegation to the United Nations for a side event of the 70th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70). The discussion will focus on the arbitrary detentions and enforced disappearances of Ukrainian women journalists in the context of the Russia-Ukraine war.

The session will highlight the essential work of Ukrainian women journalists, the threats they face, and ways to strengthen international mechanisms to protect them and ensure accountability for perpetrators.

Given the predominance of women in the Ukrainian media and the mobilization of Ukrainian men in the war, women journalists often serve as the primary source of independent information in areas inaccessible to government authorities, law enforcement, and international agencies. The essential work of women journalists makes them targets for enforced disappearances or arbitrary detention. 

According to the Coalition for Women in Journalism, 89 women journalists were imprisoned worldwide at the end of February 2025. Four of them are Ukrainian journalists imprisoned by Russia for reporting in Russian-occupied territories: Iryna Danylovych, Iryna Levchenko, Anastasiia Hlukhovska, and Yana Suvorova. They are being held in deplorable conditions and do not have access to adequate legal or medical assistance. They are also subject to restrictions on communication with their families. Viktoria Roshchyna, a journalist who went reporting in Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories, died in Russian captivity in 2024 after being reportedly tortured. 

These cases point to a pattern of intimidation, isolation, and violence against women based on  their profession. These threats require gender-sensitive protection measures. 

Key topics of the event include:

• The role of Ukrainian women journalists as primary sources of independent information in areas inaccessible to authorities

• Cases of arbitrary detention and enforced disappearance

• Gender-sensitive protection measures and international monitoring mechanisms

• Supporting journalists reporting under extreme risk conditions

Moderator:
Gypsy Guillén Kaiser – Chief Global Affairs Officer, Committee to Protect Journalists, New York

Speakers:

• Julia Koch-De Biolle – Head of Task Force for Equality at the European External Action Service (EEAS), Brussels 

• Olha Herasymiuk – Chair of the National Council of Ukraine on TV and Radio Broadcasting 

• Lina Kushch – First Secretary of the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine

• Olena Rudenko – Sister of imprisoned journalist Iryna Levchenko, Ukraine

• Vladyslav Yesypenko – Freelance journalist for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), former political prisoner, Ukraine

• Svitlana Zalizetska – Editor at news outlet RIA Pivden, Ukraine 

• Liudmila Huseinova – Human rights activist, chair of the NGO “Numo, Sisters!”, Ukraine 

About the organizers:
The National Union of Journalists of Ukraine (NUJU) is the largest professional organization of media workers in Ukraine, actively supporting journalists in conflict zones, providing protective equipment, safety training, and psychological support, and advocating for press freedom nationally and internationally.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is an independent non-profit based in New York, promoting press freedom worldwide and protecting journalists’ rights to work safely without fear of reprisal. CPJ investigates attacks on journalists, documents press freedom violations, advocates for imprisoned journalists, and provides urgent assistance to journalists under threat.

PEN America, founded in 1922 and headquartered in New York City, is a nonprofit organization that promotes free expression and human rights in the U.S. and worldwide. It is the largest of over 100 PEN centers forming PEN International, with offices in New York, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., and Florida.