13 March 2025
Vladyslav Yesypenko: The Fifth Birthday of the Crimean Journalist in Russian Imprisonment
Vladyslav Yesypenko was born on March 13, 1969, in Kryvyi Rih. After Russia occupied Crimea in 2014, he joined the team of Krym.Realii, a branch of Radio Liberty, to report on the realities of life under occupation. His reports covered the blockade of Ukrainian military units, persecution of Crimean Tatars, repression of independent media, and other human rights violations.
On March 10, 2021, officers of Russia’s FSB detained Vladyslav after he covered an event marking the birthday of Taras Shevchenko in Simferopol. He was accused of illegally manufacturing and possessing explosives. While in detention, he was subjected to torture, including electric shocks, to force a confession to crimes he did not commit. On February 16, 2022, the so-called “court” in occupied Crimea sentenced him to six years in prison and a fine of 110,000 rubles. Later, the prison term was reduced to five years.
His wife, Kateryna Yesypenko, has become the voice of the fight for his release. In October 2024, she spoke at the Ministerial Conference in Montreal.
“My husband’s only crime was informing the world about what is happening in occupied Crimea. He knew the risks, but his dedication to his country and the truth was stronger than his fear. His case deserves the highest level of attention from world leaders. I ask everyone present today to do everything in your power to make Vladyslav’s case a priority and bring him home,” Kateryna Yesypenko stated in her speech.
On the eve of the Montreal conference, the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine issued an appeal to its participants, urging them to take action for the release of Vladyslav Yesypenko and other Ukrainian journalists unlawfully convicted by Russia, as well as to put an end to Russia’s war crimes against civilians. The statement emphasized: “We call on the international community to support President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s Peace Formula, particularly its fourth point, which envisions the creation of mechanisms for the unconditional release of deported persons and civilian prisoners, including journalists, who are detained in violation of international law and even the internal legislation of the Russian Federation.”
On November 27, 2024, the international human rights organization Freedom Now submitted a petition to the United Nations demanding the release of Vladyslav Yesypenko.
Let us recall that Vladyslav Yesypenko was awarded the Levko Lukyanenko State Scholarship (2021) and the Barbey Freedom to Write Award from PEN America (2022) for his journalistic work.
On March 5, 2025, partners of the Council of Europe’s Platform for the Safety of Journalists called on Russia to immediately release Vladyslav Yesypenko, emphasizing that his imprisonment violates freedom of speech and human rights.
Vice President of the Bundestag Katrin Göring-Eckardt has become the mentor of Vladyslav Yesypenko. She announced this during a meeting with Permanent Representative Olha Kuryshko in Germany.
“The very fact that Vladyslav Yesypenko is a journalist led me to want to support him. Political prisoners need attention and visibility in society,” stated Katrin Göring-Eckardt.
The case of Vladyslav Yesypenko serves as a reminder of systematic human rights violations in occupied Crimea. The international community must continue exerting pressure on Russia, demanding the release of all unlawfully detained individuals.