On 7 June 2022, a top Ukrainian official said close to 600 people are currently being “held hostage” by Russian forces across Kherson region. These are reportedly mainly journalists and activists.
According to the Ukrainian president’s permanent representative to Crimea Tamila Tasheva, about half of those imprisoned are being held in Kherson city, with the other half distributed across the region. A number of Ukrainians, including journalists, have also been taken to Crimea to be interrogated there, she said. Most of those who were arrested are persecuted for organizing pro-Ukrainian protests in Kherson city or in the region (in the first days following the occupation), or for “communicating with a large number of people”, Tasheva added.
She said: “They are being kept in inhumane conditions, they are subject to torture. Witnesses report [hearing] screams when passing next to places where such illegal actions against our citizens are taking place.”