Verkhovna Rada Human Rights Commissioner Dmytro Lubinets said this during a meeting of the parliament's ad hoc commission investigating Russian crimes against the media, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.
"We all understand that the Russians are not holding journalists for nothing. For them, these are not just witnesses to their crimes, but people who can professionally describe, show and document them. According to our information, many journalists are being tortured and held in inhumane conditions. And while this is my assumption, everything is being done to deteriorate their health as much as possible, if not to cause something even worse," the ombudsman said.
Lubinets added that Russia subjects all media workers held in captivity to such conditions. These facts are identified through interviews with people who have already been released from captivity.
The ombudsman noted that media workers are among the most difficult categories of detainees to secure the return of.
At the same time, he expressed hope that the groundwork laid for the local ceasefire in Oleshky would provide an additional mechanism for securing the release of civilians held in Russian prisons.
"We have some groundwork in place for now. But we will see how the Russian side responds to it, with U.S. assistance," he said.
Read also: Lubinets says upholding human rights during war is a matter of survivalA ceasefire came into effect in the area of Oleshky on the night of October 27 to facilitate a humanitarian operation and the evacuation of civilians. The ceasefire will remain in effect until 22:59 on Sunday, November 1.
