RSF welcomes preliminary investigations into death of French photojournalist Antoni Lallican in Ukraine

On 5 October, France's National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor's Office (PNAT) announced that it had opened a war crimes investigation, which had been entrusted to the Central Office for Combating Crimes against Humanity and Hate Crimes. In Ukraine, a preliminary investigation was launchedon 3 October on the basis of Article 438-2 of the Ukrainian Criminal Code for "war crimes". It is being conducted by the public prosecutor's office in Kramatorsk, a city in the Donetsk region.

Antoni Lallican, 37, was covering the Russian invasion of Ukraine. He and his Ukrainian colleague, Georgiy Ivanchenko, were in the eastern village of Komyshuvakha, about 20 kilometres from the front line, when they were targeted by a Russian drone, according to initial information providedby the Ukrainian judicial authorities. Georgiy Ivanchenko had to undergo an amputation and is still in hospital.

A freelance photojournalist, Antoni Lallican worked for several French outlets, including Mediapart, Le Monde, Le Figaro, Libération and Paris Match, as well as German publications such as Der Spiegeland Die Welt, and Swiss publications such as Le Temps. He also worked with the French photography agency Hans Lucas. He had covered Russia's large-scale invasion of Ukraine since 2022 and was also known for his reporting in countries such as Syria, Haiti and Lebanon.

Fourteen media professionalshave died since the start of Russia's large-scale invasion of Ukraine, including four French nationals: Arman Soldin, Frédéric Leclerc-Imhoff, Pierre Zakrzewskiand now Antoni Lallican.