Journalist Yesypenko was released after more than four years in prison in Crimea.
On 20 June, Vladyslav Yesypenko, a journalist with the Ukrainian service of Radio Liberty's Crimea.Realities project, was released from prison in Crimea and left the Russian-occupied peninsula.
This was reported by Radio Liberty, Censor.NET informs.
Radio Liberty President and CEO Stephen Capus said in his commentary that Yesypenko had been tortured in Russian custody:
"For more than four years, Vlad has been arbitrarily punished for a crime he did not commit. He paid too high price for revealing the truth about what was happening in Russian-occupied Crimea. He was tortured for it, both physically and psychologically. As we celebrate his joyful reunion with his wife, Kateryna, and their young daughter, Stefania, we cannot ignore the pain that the Russian authorities have inflicted on this family.
"Radio Liberty is deeply grateful to the governments of the United States and Ukraine for working with us to prevent Vlad's unjust imprisonment from continuing. We also thank the global press freedom community for their tireless advocacy on behalf of Radio Liberty's dedicated journalists," he said.
To recap, Yesypenko was detained on 12 March 2021. He and another participant in the rally in honour of Shevchenko's birthday, Yelyzaveta Pavlenko, were detained at the Angarsk Pass in Crimea.
On 16 March 2021, the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) said that Yesypenko allegedly collected information on behalf of Ukrainian intelligence and made an improvised explosive device. The Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine called the detention of Yesypenko a propaganda campaign on the eve of the anniversary of the occupation.
On 5 May 2021, the journalist was charged with another article of the indictment.
On 6 July 2021, the Russian-controlled so-called 'district court' in the temporarily occupied Simferopol extended the arrest of illegally detained Ukrainian citizen and journalist Vladyslav Yesypenko for six months.
On 16 February 2022, the Russian-controlled Simferopol District Court of the occupied Crimea announced the verdict in the case of Vladyslav Yesypenko, a freelancer for the Radio Liberty Krym.Realii project, who was sentenced to six years in a general regime colony and a fine of 110,000 rubles in a case of illegal possession and transportation of an explosive device. Russian prosecutors had asked for 11 years behind bars.
On 18 August 2022, the so-called Supreme Court in the occupied Crimea commuted Yesypenko's sentence to 5 years in a general regime colony and a fine of 110,000 rubles.
