Week-ending 12 June 2026
‘Almost three years after abducting Ukrainian journalist Anastasia Hlukhovska from her home in occupied Melitopol, Russia is continuing to hold her incommunicado with any information that her family has received coming almost solely from former hostages freed in prisoner exchanges. The secrecy is of particular concern as Hlukhovska is known to have been held at the notorious Siberian SIZO No. 1 in Kizel since at least late June 2025. This is the remand prison where 27-year-old Ukrainian journalist Victoria Roshchyna and Dniprorudne Mayor Yevhen Matvieiev died after being subjected to torture.’
– Halya Coynash
Source: Halya Coynash, Abducted Melitopol journalist Anastasia Hlukhovska went on hunger strike in notorious Russian prison, Human Rights in Ukraine, 12 June 2026
Background from Human Rights in Ukraine: Anastasia Hlukhovska (b. 26.01.1993) was one of at least six Melitopol journalists and / or administrators of the independent Telegram channels RIA-Melitopol and Melitopol is Ukraine who were seized by the Russians in raids early on 20 August 2023, or soon afterwards. Russia has swiftly moved to crush independent media and replace it with propaganda on any Ukrainian territory that it has seized, with this clearly the motive behind the abductions of so many journalists. They came immediately after the Russians managed to hack into and hijack the important Telegram channel RIA-Melitopol and it was then that journalists Anastasia Hlukovska and Heorhiy Levchenko, as well, probably, as Mark Kaliush; Vladyslav Hershon; Maksym Rupchov and Yana Suvorova were abducted.
‘According to the ‘Political Prisoners. Memorial’ human rights project, at least 5,468 people in Russia and the occupied Ukrainian territories have been deprived of liberty with signs of political motivation. This is a minimum estimate — we believe that in reality the number may be at least twice as high.’
– ‘Political Prisoners. Memorial’ project
Source: ‘Database of the project “Support for Political Prisoners. Memorial”,’ Political Prisoners. Memorial, 8 June 2026
Background from Political Prisoners. Memorial: The information in the public database is updated daily in real time. You can view the database here. For journalists and researchers, additional data is available via the Political Prisoners. Memorial bot.
