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Immediately prior to his detention, Ostrovsky had been investigating
Russian citizens' involvement in the pro-Russia armed groups of eastern Ukraine, something separatist forces were trying to hide at that early stage of the conflict, according to a video deposition he made for VICE News following
382:
In early 2014, he helped launch the company's new current affairs division, VICE News, with his investigation into allegations of corruption at the 2014 Winter
Olympics in Sochi and coverage of the 2014 crisis in Ukraine. His series of unvarnished video dispatches from Ukraine titled "Russian
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In the article, Ostrovsky wrote: "A hat was pulled over my head and taped over my eyes. My arms were pulled tightly behind my back and taped together too. I was led down a set of stairs and thrown into an empty, damp room ā¦ I was punched and kicked in the ribs and fell over to the ground."
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departs from other such investigations into soldiers' social media posts when
Ostrovsky re-enacts the pictures himself to establish clearly that he has personally visited the locations where they were taken inside of both Ukraine and Russia. The film was awarded the prestigious
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Ostrovsky was imprisoned for three days, during which he was held in a basement, beaten and interrogated. Ostrovsky described the ordeal as "the worst three days of my life" in an account he authored for Canada's
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331:, which a US embassy cable published by Wikileaks credited with reigniting the global campaign against Uzbek cotton. Ostrovsky traced the supply chains of multinational garment retailers like
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newspaper he described how a "North Korean labour force tens-of-thousands strong, put in place across Asia," helped finance the regime in
Pyongyang through contracts with Western firms.
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By April 24, Ostrovsky's detention had garnered considerable global media attention. The security situation around
Sloviansk had begun to deteriorate, as
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Roulette" won VICE News widespread acclaim and recognition as a burgeoning player on the media landscape. The series was nominated for two Emmys, won two
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in 2011, and co-produced a separate report for VICE's documentary news series on HBO about the escape of defectors from North Korea in 2013.
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Ostrovsky started his career in documentary filmmaking in 2007 after spending six years as a print reporter in Russia, where he covered
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his release. He had also attended several press conferences of
Ponomarev where the rebel leader had threatened journalists.
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In 2017 CNN hired
Ostrovsky to its expanded investigations unit which also includes veteran investigative journalist
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February 2, 1981) is an
American journalist and documentary producer. He is best known for his coverage of the
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at a time when Russia was denying the existence of any
Russian military presence in the Ukrainian mainland.
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through a printed image, before taking him captive under the militia of the separatist pro-Russian leader,
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after they identified him as a person of interest at their checkpoint in the
Ukrainian city of
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in eastern Ukraine, Ostrovsky's vehicle was stopped at a separatist checkpoint in the city of
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on HBO, where he helped the program earn an Emmy as an "Outstanding Informational Series."
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to Uzbekistan, leading many Western cotton buyers to eventually boycott the country.
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In 2009, Ostrovsky exposed the use of North Koreans in work camps in Russia for BBC
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On April 21, 2014, while producing "Russian Roulette", a series of reports for
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reached the outskirts of the city and began engaging separatist units with
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In 2013, VICE Media hired Ostrovsky as a producer for the second season of
1260:"How a VICE reporter spent three days as a captive of pro-Russian rebels"
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732:
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investigating government-sponsored child labor in the cotton industry of
1346:"The Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Awards - School of Journalism"
1290:"Simon Ostrovsky on His Kidnapping, Detainment, and Release | VICE News"
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in 2016 and again in 2023. Currently, he is a special correspondent for
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754:"BBC NEWS - Programmes - Newsnight - Child labour and the High Street"
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1234:"Kidnapped U.S. Journalist Is 'Bargaining Chip' in Ukraine | News"
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In 2015, Ostrovsky reported and produced the video investigation
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Webby Honoree - Online Film & Video, News & Politics
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practice of sending workers abroad. In a report for the UK's
1145:"Simon Ostrovsky Joins Coda Story as Investigations Editor"
976:"Why the Sochi Olympics are the Most Expensive in History"
667:"Selfie Soldiers: Russia Checks in to Ukraine - VICE News"
1416:
1210:. New York City, New York: Mashable, Inc. Archived from
1171:"Fearing U.S. rejection, asylum seekers flee to Canada"
246:
retreated in the face of a Ukrainian military offensive
1066:"VICE News Nominated for Four Emmy Awards - VICE News"
1036:"Vice News Quickly Makes Mark With Ukraine Dispatches"
562:
Webby Award - News & Politics: Individual episode
805:
Neena Rai And Grigori Gerenstein (October 19, 2011).
916:"Profit from its people: North Korea's export shame"
632:
Overseas Press Club's David Kaplan Award - Citation
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In 2007, Ostrovsky produced an exclusive report for
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as the country came into conflict with neighbouring
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Abduction by pro-Russia militants in Ukraine (2014)
409:as Investigations Editor and began contributing to
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271:was nominated for two Emmys. He also received the
896:Vice on HBO documentary on North Korean defectors
867:"North Korean Labor Camps - VICE - United States"
353:He revisited those camps with VICE Media founder
1467:People of the 2014 pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine
622:DuPont Columbia University Award for Journalism
592:DuPont Columbia University Award for Journalism
837:"N Koreans labouring in Russia's timber camps"
515:Award for "outstanding use of video" in 2016.
434:. One of the rebels identified Ostrovsky as a
217:by the latter. His other reports have covered
1202:"Vice Journalist Captured in Eastern Ukraine"
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1376:"ELLIE AWARDS 2016 WINNERS ANNOUNCED - ASME"
807:"Western Buyers Boycott Uzbekistan's Cotton"
492:Selfie Soldiers: Russia Checks in to Ukraine
484:Selfie Soldiers: Russia Checks in to Ukraine
201:in 2014 and 2015, when he was dispatched by
552:Webby Award - News & Politics: Series
509:Alfred I. duPontāColumbia University Award
360:Ostrovsky has reported extensively on the
273:Alfred I. duPontāColumbia University Award
157:Alfred I. duPontāColumbia University Award
44:
20:
405:In 2018, Ostrovsky joined media start-up
236:In April 2014, Ostrovsky was abducted by
898:, youtube.com, retrieved April 23, 2014
582:Lovie Award - Best Web Personality/Host
542:Emmy - Outstanding Informational Series
522:
1118:"Simon Ostrovsky Moves to CNN - Cision"
677:from the original on September 15, 2018
655:
1326:from the original on November 29, 2014
1270:from the original on November 12, 2020
1181:from the original on November 29, 2020
1072:from the original on December 10, 2017
986:from the original on September 8, 2015
847:from the original on November 12, 2020
707:from the original on November 25, 2020
511:for its "innovative reporting" and an
1457:Soviet emigrants to the United States
1356:from the original on February 8, 2021
1151:from the original on February 3, 2018
1124:from the original on October 26, 2019
1016:from the original on January 14, 2022
956:from the original on October 29, 2014
877:from the original on December 2, 2016
205:to cover the events that unfolded in
7:
817:from the original on October 5, 2019
513:American Society of Magazine Editors
1316:"Simon Ostrovsky Has Been Released"
1240:from the original on April 28, 2014
1447:American people of Russian descent
1296:from the original on June 21, 2018
1046:from the original on March 1, 2019
760:from the original on June 20, 2017
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1098:from the original on June 2, 2019
926:from the original on June 7, 2017
786:from the original on May 22, 2015
602:ASME award (Ellie) - Video Award
1143:Story, Coda (January 29, 2018).
1462:BBC newsreaders and journalists
16:American journalist (born 1981)
1200:Ries, Brian (April 22, 2014).
572:AIB Award - Short News Report
1:
1452:Mass media people from Moscow
223:North Korean internment camps
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498:to his hometown in Russia's
248:. Later, in 2015, he filmed
389:AIB Media Excellence Awards
311:for the French news agency
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902:November 13, 2015, at the
697:"Simon Ostrovsky - Awards"
267:in 2013, while his series
227:2015 Europe migrant crisis
1442:American male journalists
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1472:American torture victims
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1350:journalism.columbia.edu
1477:Kidnappings in Ukraine
238:pro-Russia separatists
873:. December 21, 2011.
231:ArabāIsraeli conflict
1386:on November 15, 2016
1177:. January 27, 2018.
1120:. February 9, 2017.
922:. October 14, 2011.
440:Vyacheslav Ponomarev
313:Agence France-Presse
1040:The Huffington Post
843:. August 26, 2009.
524:
477:Canadian media crew
263:, Ostrovsky won an
215:Crimea's annexation
213:prior to and after
199:Russo-Ukrainian War
1322:. April 25, 2014.
1292:. April 28, 2014.
1264:The Globe and Mail
1236:. April 23, 2014.
1092:"Russian Roulette"
1042:. March 13, 2014.
1006:"Russian Roulette"
950:Television Academy
645:Sloviansk standoff
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436:person of interest
259:For his work with
219:Uzbek child labour
171:simonostrovsky.com
1214:on April 22, 2014
1068:. July 22, 2015.
673:. June 16, 2015.
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118:Years active
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1388:. Retrieved
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1380:magazine.org
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159:(2016, 2023)
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85:Russian SFSR
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1432:1981 births
1020:January 14,
456:newspaper.
367:Independent
355:Shane Smith
125: 2007
101:Occupations
93:Citizenship
1426:Categories
728:"Register"
651:References
407:Coda Media
329:Uzbekistan
309:Azerbaijan
265:Emmy Award
261:VICE Media
229:, and the
193:1981-02-02
151:Emmy Award
107:Journalist
70:1981-02-02
1417:VICE News
1390:March 23,
1360:March 23,
1330:April 28,
1320:Vice News
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427:Vice News
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1354:Archived
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954:Archived
930:June 29,
924:Archived
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881:June 29,
875:Archived
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845:Archived
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790:June 29,
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764:June 29,
758:Archived
738:June 26,
733:LinkedIn
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414:Newshour
391:and the
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127:āpresent
110:producer
1300:May 31,
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534:Ref(s)
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337:Walmart
333:Topshop
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301:Georgia
207:Ukraine
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946:"Vice"
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549:2015
539:2013
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1332:2014
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1157:2018
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376:VICE
339:and
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811:WSJ
411:PBS
320:BBC
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