The Russians are holding a kidnapped Ukrainian journalist in a Russian colony

Ukrainian journalist Dmytro Hylyuk, who was abducted by the Russians in March 2022 during the occupation of Kyiv region, is probably in one of the colonies of the Volodymyr region of the Russian Federation. This is stated in the Reporters Without Borders report.

“Dmytro Hylyuk is being held either in correctional colony No. 7 near Kovrov, or in correctional colony No. 6 in Melehovo. The latter is a maximum security prison with a disgusting reputation. In recent years, it has become infamous because of the stay in it of Alexei Navalny, one of the main opponents of Putin.

One source said he had heard from former Russian prisoners that Ukrainians were also being held there,” the report states.

Former prisoners of correctional colony No. 7 confirmed to Reporters Without Borders that there are Ukrainian prisoners in the colony, but they could not confirm Dmytro Hylyuk’s stay in this prison. According to their testimony, at least 300 Ukrainian servicemen and civilians are held there.

The presence of Ukrainian prisoners in correctional colony was confirmed to Reporters Without Borders by two soldiers who were imprisoned there and were recently released.

However, they could not confirm Dmytro Hylyuk’s stay in this prison, designed for 1,200 places. According to their testimony, at least 300 Ukrainian servicemen and civilians are held there.

“Ukrainians do not have any contact with Russian prisoners, they are transferred to another cell approximately every two months. The only occupation they are forced to do is reading propaganda books portraying Ukraine as a Nazi regime or singing Russian patriotic songs,” the report says.

In addition, from the testimonies of former prisoners, Reporters Without Borders learned that the majority of Ukrainian prisoners are considered “witnesses”, they do not face any official charges and do not have access to a lawyer.

UNIAN journalist Dmytro Khilyuk disappeared in March 2022 in the occupied Kyiv region, in his native village of Kozarovichi. In April, the Russian Federation confirmed that it was detaining the journalist. For some time he was in a pre-trial detention center in Bryansk region. The exact location of the correspondent was unknown.

The Prosecutor General’s Office opened criminal proceedings under part 1 of Art. 438 of the Criminal Code regarding the kidnapping of civilians on the territory of the Dymer United Territorial Community. During the proceedings, journalist Dmytro Hylyuk and his father are treated as victims.