Russian authorities have detained Ukrainian journalist Heorhiy Levchenko since August 2023 on terrorism charges. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison.
Levchenko is the administrator of the Telegram channel associated with RIA-Melitopol, a news website that covers news in Melitopol, a city in Zaporizhzhia that has been under Russian control since March 2022.
On August 20, 2023, officers with the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) in Zaporizhzhia detained Levchenko, according to the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine, a local advocacy and trade group. Anastasiya Glukhovska, a former reporter with RIA-Melitopol, was detained on the same day by individuals in military garb and balaclavas, according to her sister, Diana, who spoke to CPJ.
Levchenko’s and Glukhovska’s detention was not made public until late October 2023, when Vesti Nedeli, a program of Russian state-owned TV channel Rossiya 1, and the Russian Defense Ministry-affiliated TV channel Zvezda, showed videos of his arrest.
Melitopol journalist Svitlana Zalizetska told CPJ that Levchenko was suspected of terrorism, under Article 205, Part 2 of the Russian criminal code. “They’re making a terrorist out of a journalist,” said Zalizetska.
Levchenko’s location and health status were unknown as of October 2024.
In late 2024, CPJ emailed the FSB requesting comment on both detentions but received no response.