UNIAN and 1+1 Media appeal to international institutions to facilitate the release of UNIAN journalist Dmytro Khilyuk from Russian captivity

1+1 Media appeals to the global professional community and the human rights community with a request to facilitate the release of Dmytro Khylyuk, a journalist for the UNIAN news agency, from Russian captivity, as well as all civilians illegally held captive by the Russian Federation since the beginning of the full-scale war in Ukraine.

Dmytro Khylyuk, a journalist for the Ukrainian Independent Information Agency (UNIAN), part of the 1+1 Media Group and one of the most popular UAnet media platforms, has been in Russian captivity for over a year. Russian security forces kidnaped Dmytro and his father, Vasyl Khylyuk, on March 3, 2022. The father was released eight days later, but the journalist remained in captivity.

As of May 2023, Dmytro Khylyuk's parents have only one piece of information about their son. He wrote a concise letter last April in one of the Russian prisons.

"The official status of Dmytro Khylyuk is a civilian prisoner of war. According to international law, such people should be returned beyond special exchanges. In order not to harm the release process, the relevant authorities recommended not publicizing information about this case during the year of the full-scale war. However, this information has become public and open. We call on the international community to give this case maximum publicity and do everything possible to ensure that the aggressor country releases Dmytro Khylyuk and all the civilians it is still holding captive in inhumane conditions," commented 1+1 Media.

Facts confirming the abduction of Dmytro Khylyuk by Russian security forces on March 3, 2022, and his detention near the Ukrainian border are given in the RSF investigation at this link. The details of Dmytro's capture are also available in the UNIAN article at this link.

We appeal to the representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the European Federation of Journalists and the International Federation of Journalists, and the European Commission and personally to the President of the European Commission, Mrs. Ursula von der Leyen, with a request to assist in the release of Dmytro Khylyuk and give this case maximum publicity!