“Journalists are not criminals!” – Council of Europe calls for immediate release of Vladyslav Yesypenko

The Platform for the Promotion of the Protection of Journalists of the Council of Europe demands the immediate release of the Crimean freelancer of the Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty project, Vladyslav Yesypenko, who has been illegally detained by the russians since March 2021.

“The Platform’s partners call for the immediate release of journalist Vladyslav Yesypenko. A contributor to the regional news publication of the Ukrainian service of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Yesypenko has remained in custody in Crimea since March 2021,” reads the page on the X network.

Arrested on false charges of “espionage and possession of an explosive device,” the media worker was subjected to severe electric torture, which he claimed in court after being admitted by an independent lawyer.

Despite international pressure, the occupation authorities sentenced Yesypenko to five years in a colony and are exerting constant psychological pressure on him. The colony administration regularly summons the journalist and warns him “not to say anything unnecessary” to his family and lawyer.

According to the head of the parliamentary committee on freedom of speech, Yaroslav Yurchyshyn, the occupiers are preparing a new case against Yesypenko in order to extend his imprisonment…