In Conversation with Evgeniya Chirikova

​On March 12 at 1pm (ET), RTDNA Canada and Journalists for Human Rights (JHR) will host "In Conversation With Evgeniya Chirikova", an independent journalist, activist and co-founder of Activatica, an independent online platform covering grassroots activism in Russia.

​As we mark International Women’s Day, this discussion highlights the work of a woman journalist who has taken extraordinary personal risks to expose human rights abuses and defend democratic values.

​Chirikova is the producer of the award-winning documentary Prisoners: System of Terror, produced with support from JHR. The film investigates Russia’s secret detention system in occupied Ukraine, documenting how civilians are abducted, held without charge and disappear into a network of prisons.

​The documentary premiered at the European Parliament in July 2025, where it helped catalyze a parliamentary resolution condemning the use of terror in the occupied territories. Subsequent screenings, including one at Paris City Hall, have galvanized calls from public figures and policymakers for action and the release of Ukrainian civilian prisoners. For the film’s impact, Chirikova and her team received the 2025 “Profession – Journalist” award in the Multimedia category.

​Chirikova herself has faced multiple criminal cases in Russia, has been arrested in absentia and has been labelled a “foreign agent” for her reporting and advocacy.

​Join us for a timely discussion on accountability journalism and the role of women reporters confronting power!