On 20 June, after more than four years of imprisonment in the temporarily occupied territory of Crimea, a freelance journalist of the Crimea.Realities project (a project of RFE/RL’s Ukrainian Service) Vladyslav Yesypenko was released. He has managed to leave occupied Crimea. Currently in Prague, Yesypenko will undergo medical examination and rehabilitation.
“I’m happy to be a free person and a free journalist… I’m deeply grateful to everyone who helped and supported me while I was in prison — first and foremost, my family, Radio Liberty, and many people around the world… There are still many Ukrainian patriots imprisoned in Russian jails, and they must also be brought home — not when their terms end, but much earlier,” Yesypenko said upon arriving in Prague.
President and CEO of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Stephen Capus, emphasized that Yesypenko was subjected to torture while in Russian captivity:
“For over four years, Vlad was arbitrarily punished for a crime he did not commit. He paid an unthinkable price for reporting the truth about what was happening in Russian-occupied Crimea. For that, he was tortured — both physically and psychologically. As we celebrate his joyful reunion with his wife Kateryna and their young daughter Stefania, we cannot ignore the suffering inflicted on this family by the Russian authorities,” as reported by RFE/RL.
Following the occupation of Crimea by the Russian Federation in 2014, Vladyslav Yesypenko actively opposed the attempted annexation by filming video reports and giving interviews to various media outlets. Since 2014, he had been working as a freelance contributor to Crimea.Realities, a project of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, covering social and environmental issues on the peninsula and conducting street interviews with local residents.
On 10 March 2021, Vladyslav Yesypenko was detained by Russian FSB officers in Crimea on charges of gathering information “in the interests of Ukrainian intelligence services” and allegedly possessing an “improvised explosive device” in his car. For 27 days, he was denied access to independent legal counsel. During a court hearing in Simferopol, Yesypenko stated that he had been tortured by Russian security officers, including electric shocks, to force a confession. Despite these claims, on 16 February 2022, a so-called court sentenced him to six years in prison and a fine of 110,000 rubles. The sentence was later reduced to five years.
After his arrest, the journalist was held without access to independent legal counsel. He was subjected to torture, including electric shocks, in order to extract a confession. Under pressure, he was coerced into giving an interview to the pro-Kremlin TV channel Krym 24, in which he allegedly admitted to “cooperating with Ukrainian intelligence services.” Once independent lawyers were finally allowed to visit him, Vladyslav Yesypenko publicly retracted his “confession,” stating it had been obtained through torture and psychological coercion.
His wife, Kateryna Yesypenko, became his voice in the struggle for his release. In October 2024, she spoke at the Ministerial Conference on the Peace Formula in Montreal, calling on the international community to take more decisive action. Later, on 27 November, the human rights organization Freedom Now submitted a petition to the United Nations demanding Vladyslav’s immediate release. On 5 March 2025, the Council of Europe’s Platform to Promote the Protection of Journalism issued a similar statement urging the Kremlin to free him.
Despite his imprisonment, Vladyslav Yesypenko continued his journalistic work. He recorded an interview with Metropolitan Klyment of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine — who served as his civic defender — as well as with another Ukrainian political prisoner, Kostiantyn Shyrinh, who had been sentenced in 2020 to 12 years on fabricated charges. Kostiantyn later died in Penal Colony No. 5 in Novotroitsk, Orenburg region. According to human rights advocates, he suffered from serious heart problems and had repeatedly requested medical assistance, requiring surgery that was ultimately denied.
During his time behind bars, Yesypenko received several prestigious honors: the Free Media Award (2022), the PEN America Freedom to Write Award (2022), Ukraine’s Ihor Lubchenko National Journalism Prize, and the Levko Lukyanenko State Scholarship, awarded to Ukrainian political prisoners. In 2025, he was also named a mentee of Bundestag Vice President Katrin Göring-Eckardt.
Vice President of the Bundestag Katrin Göring-Eckardt wrote on her Instagram page:
“His release is a victory for press freedom and a reminder not to forget all other political prisoners. We will continue to fight for their release — because the truth cannot be imprisoned. And no one who stands for freedom, justice, and dignity is ever alone.”
Vladyslav’s story is part of a broader system of repression in Crimea, where Russia uses persecution to silence dissent and spread fear. Journalists and human rights defenders are among the primary targets of this pressure.
Throughout this time, the Mission consistently supported the family of Vladyslav Yesypenko. Thanks to these efforts, by Presidential Decree of 16 December 2021, Vladyslav was awarded the Levko Lukyanenko State Scholarship. The Mission also actively collaborated with Vice President of the Bundestag Katrin Göring-Eckardt, who took on a mentorship role in his case. The need for Vladyslav’s release was repeatedly raised during bilateral meetings with foreign diplomats and at international platforms, including the Crimea Platform Summits.
In addition, in April 2023, the Mission together with PEN Ukraine launched the initiative Letters to a Free Crimea. This campaign united Ukrainians and supporters around the world, giving them the opportunity to write messages of support to political prisoners from Crimea, including Vladyslav. The aim of the initiative was to draw attention to Ukraine’s political prisoners held by the Kremlin, show solidarity and support, and highlight their struggle for freedom. The letters written as part of the campaign became an important source of moral support, helping political prisoners feel that their cause had not been forgotten.
Ukraine continues its efforts to secure the release of all unlawfully imprisoned citizens. The international community must intensify pressure on the Kremlin to ensure the return of all victims of political repression.