«Well, journalist, gotcha». Ukrainian reporters on occupation and captivity
Russian swift occupation of the Kherson region in February-March 2022 was followed by mass repressions against civilians: abductions, illegal detention, torture, sexual violence. Journalists, civic activists, teachers were among the first victims. Journalist from Kakhovka Oleh Baturyn had been captured by the Russians for 9 days, Anzhela Slobodyan from Kherson — for a month. We have talked to them about their captivity, work from under the occupation and visited the place they were forcefully kept along with the other civilians. According to the Institute of Mass Information, as of January 2025, 30 Ukrainian civil journalists and one combatant are still held in Russian captivity.
Oleh Baturyn, a journalist, who was covering the beginning of the occupation and a civil rights activist, was heading to meet his colleague when he was brutally captured by the Russians on the streets of his hometown Kakhovka. His colleague, a journalist too, a writer and a volunteer from Nova Kakhovka Serhiy Tsyhypa was captured as well, as it turned out later.
With a sack over his head, Baturyn was taken to the building of Kherson regional administration and later on to the detention center. He has spent 9 days in captivity. Over this time 4 of his ribs were broken, he was forced to sign documents in which he would incriminate himself.
Anzhela Slobodyan has been covering the Russian occupation of Kherson for over 4 months. She went live on TV openly, but tried to remain low-key and changed her locations, until she was captured in July 2022 and taken to the same detention center-turned-torture house, where Baturyn was.
Both are convinced, they were captured because of their work. It's also their work and publicity around their cases which could have helped get out, Baturyn believes. Unfortunately, the colleague Baturyn was supposed to meet on the day he was captured, Serhiy Tsyhypa, is still in captivity. He was illegally sentenced to 13 years in prison for «espionage» and is kept in a detention center in Simferopol, occupied Crimea.
More on Baturyn and Slobodyan’s stories — in the video.
Our team dedicates this video to our colleagues who have suffered at the hands of the Russian Federation. Those who have been deprived of their freedom, health, and lives for their freedom of speech, civic position, and professionalism.
Photo: Anna Tsyhyma
.jpg)
_21-min.JPG)
