The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) will launch “Victory for Victoria” Day – a day for war correspondents and free journalism. The proposal was submitted by PACE President Theodoros Roussopoulos, as announced in a Facebook post by Yevhenia Kravchuk, Ukrainian MP and Deputy Chair of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Humanitarian and Information Policy.

Kravchuk says that the day will become an annual event dedicated to the memory of Ukrainian journalist Victoria Roshchyna, who was kidnapped and tortured to death in Russian detention.

The MP said that the initiative emerged during the hearings on the resolution on Ukrainian journalists in Russian detention at the meeting of the PACE Committee on Culture, Science, Education and Media in Norway.

As proposed by PACE President Theodoros Rousopoulos, “Victory for Victoria” Day will commemorate all journalists who were killed or went missing while covering the war against Ukraine.

This day is set to symbolize the struggle for freedom of speech and truth. The day, which will be an annual occasion at the autumn PACE session, will include a minute of silence and a special side event. The first “Victory for Victoria” Day will take place at the Autumn PACE session on September 29 – October 3, 2025, during the vote on the resolution on Ukrainian journalists in Russian detention.

“This is an important initiative honoring journalists who have died or faced violence for their commitment to truth. Victoria Roshchyna is a symbol of this struggle,” said Yevhenia Kravchuk, who supported the initiative along with her colleagues from the Committee.

The day also aims to express gratitude to those who continue to fight for freedom of speech despite the danger and the sacrifices this entails. Eternal memory to Victoria Roshchyna and all who gave their lives for the right to truth.

In the comments to the post, Yevhenia Kravchuk shared the text of the proposal to introduce the “Victory for Victoria” Day – a Day for War Correspondents and Free Journalism, submitted to the PACE Committee on Culture, Science, Education and Media by Theodoros Roussopoulos.

PACE President writes that Victoria's story is not an isolated one — every year, dozens of journalists are killed, imprisoned, or forcibly disappeared in war zones. Their voices are silenced so that others may never hear the truth.

By naming this day "Victory for Victoria", the initiators seek to affirm two principles:

That freedom of the press is essential to peace, democracy, and human dignity.
That the sacrifice of those like Victoria is not in vain but contributes to a broader victory for justice and truth.
The objectives of the initiative include:

Commemorating journalists killed or disappeared in conflict, especially those covering war crimes or defending human rights.
Promoting freedom of expression, media independence, and the protection of journalists as enshrined in the European Convention on Human Rights and Council of Europe standards.
Supporting Council of Europe initiatives such as the Platform for the Protection of Journalism and Safety of Journalists.
The suggested format includes:

an annual resolution;
a minute of silence during Autumn PACE session (Victoria was born October 1996 and killed September 2024);
a side event during the 4th part session of PACE;
cooperation with journalism organizations across Europe.
"Let us remember Victoria — not only as a victim of war, but as a symbol of journalistic courage. And let us make 'Victory for Victoria' a lasting European tribute to the freedom she died for," the proposal reads.

In a comment to the Institute of Mass Information, Yevhenia Kravchuk said that PACE President's initiative will be included in the resolution on Ukrainian journalists in Russian detention, which is set to be adopted this fall.

According to the Institute of Mass Information, at least 30 Ukrainian civilians working in journalism and one media professional turned combatant are in Russian detention as of today.

On October 2, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe adopted the Resolution "Missing persons, prisoners of war and civilians in captivity as a result of the war of aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine". The resolution contains the first separate mention of detained journalists. The IMI was involved in the development of the part of the resolution that concerns captive journalists.