“You are doing very important things!” – Vladyslav Yesypenko visits NUJU’s office

“Finally, this day has come… In our Union of Journalists on Khreshchatyk, I shook hands with Vladyslav Yesypenko. Free… Vladyslav is the same journalist for whom we fought for almost four years. The one whose freedom we demanded at international forums, whose name we carried on posters, whose story we told the world. Together with colleagues from Radio Liberty, from Krym.Realii, together with relatives and friends, together with human rights defenders…,” the President of the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine (NUJU), Sergiy Tomilenko, wrote on a social media.

Vladyslav walked through the corridors of the Union like a man who had returned from hell. Sergiy Tomilenko showed him the Journalists’ Solidarity Center (JSC), three international photo exhibitions – about the war, about the work of military intelligence officers, and solidarity with captured colleagues. And then, he took out magazines and booklets that the Union published in solidarity with Yesypenko.

But Vladyslav was most moved by a postcard with a drawing of his daughter Stefaniya. The girl drew her dream – dad and mom next to her. A simple child’s drawing, which became a symbol of indomitability and hope.

In the book of honored guests of the Union, Vladyslav left a short note: “I was very glad to visit our Union of Journalists. You are doing very important things to help, support, and bring our patriots from russian prisons! The struggle continues!”

“It is a great honor for us to meet Vladyslav Yesypenko as a laureate of our National Prize of Ukraine for the Protection of Freedom of Speech named after Ihor Lubchenko,” added Sergiy Tomilenko. “Thank you to everyone who supported Vladyslav during these difficult years. Thanks to the international community that did not forget about him. And thanks, Vladyslav himself, for standing firm. Journalists are important!”

NUJU Information Service