On June 20, it became known that Radio Liberty journalist Vladislav Yesipenko, who had been illegally held in custody in Russian-occupied Crimea since 2021, had been released.
Yesipenko left Crimea after more than four years of captivity, Radio Liberty reports.
Vladislav Yesipenko released from prison in Crimea
Radio Liberty welcomed the journalist's release and expressed gratitude to the governments of the United States and Ukraine for their support and efforts to bring him home.
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— For more than four years, Vlad was arbitrarily punished for a crime he did not commit. He paid too high a price for exposing the truth about what was happening in Russian-occupied Crimea. For this, he was tortured, both physically and psychologically. As we celebrate his joyful reunion with his wife, Ekaterina, and their young daughter, Stefania, we cannot ignore the pain that Russian authorities have inflicted on this family, — said Stephen Kapus, President and CEO of RFE/RL.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha reported that he met at the Warsaw airport with Ukrainian journalist Yesipenko, who was heading to Prague.
The minister personally congratulated the journalist on his release.
“He was illegally detained in Crimea in 2021 and spent years in a Russian prison as a political prisoner. Moscow persecuted him for his truthful reports from the occupied Ukrainian peninsula,” Sybiga wrote on social media.
Recall that Vladislav Yesipenko was arrested on March 10, 2021. Russian authorities accused him of “espionage” for Ukrainian special services. The journalist completely denied these accusations.
The journalist's wife, Ekaterina Yesipenko, played a special role in the liberation process. She tirelessly fought for her husband's freedom, conducted a broad international campaign, and participated in diplomatic events.
