Victoria Roschina, a Ukrainian journalist who died in Russian captivity, was posthumously awarded the 'Press Freedom Hero' title by the International Press Institute (IPI) and the International Media Support (IMS). The award ceremony took place on October 24 at the University of Vienna during the 75th World Congress of IPI.
She was among seven laureates this year:
- Mzia Amaglobeli, Georgia (co-founder and CEO of 'Batumelebi' and 'Netgazeti');
- Martin Baron, USA (former editor of Washington Post and Boston Globe);
- Mariam Abu Daqqa, Palestine (posthumously) (freelance photojournalist who died due to an Israeli military strike);
- Gustavo Gorriti, Peru (founder of IDL-Reporteros);
- Jimmy Lai, Hong Kong (publisher of Apple Daily);
- Tesfalem Waldyes, Ethiopia (co-founder and editor of Ethiopia Insider).
The awarded journalists, investigators, and media founders displayed exceptional courage in their fight for freedom of expression.
The award for Roschina was accepted by Anna Babinets, director of Slidstvo.Info, along with Andrii Boborykin, executive director of Ukrainska Pravda, where the journalist worked as a freelancer.
"It feels strange standing on stage in Europe, accepting an award for a colleague I knew personally, a remarkable journalist who is no longer with us. Just imagine: a professional journalist from a European country in the 21st century dying in prison from torture and starvation. It is an honor to receive this award for my brave colleague," said Babinets.
The Institute also awarded Hungarian independent media the title of 'Pioneers of Free Media'.
Details about Victoria Roschina's death emerged on October 10, 2024. According to a letter from the Russian Ministry of Defense, she died on September 19, 2024. Her body was returned to Ukraine at the end of February 2025.
The investigation revealed that Roschina was brutally tortured while in Russian captivity, and numerous signs of torture were found on her body. She was buried on August 8, 2025, in Kyiv. In October 2025, her name was inscribed at the Reporters Memorial in France.
