“The document indicates numerous cases when the Russian authorities violated the rights of Vladyslav Yesipenko”, — write: www.radiosvoboda.org
The document, which is at the disposal of Krym.Realia, indicates numerous cases when the Russian authorities violated the rights of Vladyslav Yesipenko, who performed journalistic work in Crimea, annexed by the Russian Federation.
According to Freedom Now, the petition is public and the WGAD will conduct a preliminary review in the coming weeks before handing it over to the Russian government. Russia will have 60 days to respond. If the Russian government does not respond (as has often happened in the past), the WGAD will continue its investigation and issue its opinion.
In September 2023, the WGAD decided to detain in Belarus the journalist of the Belarusian service of Radio Liberty Ihor Losyk. They called it groundless and called for the journalist’s release.
Vladyslav Yesypenko is a Ukrainian journalist, a freelancer for Krym.Realii. Before his arrest, he covered social and environmental issues, conducted surveys of Crimeans.
On March 10, 2021, he was detained in Simferopol. The Russian authorities accused the journalist of gathering information “for the benefit of the special services of Ukraine”, as well as storing an “improvised explosive device” in his car.
As a result, Yesipenko was sentenced to 5 years of imprisonment in a general regime colony and a fine of 110,000 rubles. The Russian prosecution demanded 11 years of imprisonment for Yesipenko. Yesipenko himself claims that the Russian security forces tortured him, in particular with electricity, in order to obtain evidence.
Read also: Radio Liberty demands the release of Vladyslav Yesipenko against the backdrop of EU sanctions against the FSB officers involved in his case
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine called Yesypenko’s sentence “politically motivated.” The US State Department also condemned the verdict, calling it “yet another example of abuses by the Russian occupation authorities in Crimea.”
In 2022, Vladyslav Yesypenko became a laureate of the American PEN Award, the Barbey Freedom to Write Award and the National Ihor Lubchenko National Prize for the Protection of Freedom of Speech.
The mandate of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) provides for the investigation of cases of arbitrary deprivation of liberty or deprivation of liberty in violation of international norms enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights or international legal acts recognized by the relevant states.
Read also: NSJU: about 30 journalists are held in Russian prisons
Freedom Now is based in Washington, USA. Since 2001, the organization has protected individuals and communities from government repression and defended human rights through direct legal support, focused, high-impact advocacy, analysis and capacity-building assistance. Freedom Now also works on several interrelated issues, including prison conditions, transnational repression, rehabilitation of former prisoners of conscience, and support for civil society and international action.