A Ukrainian journalist is released from Russian custody in occupied Crimea
A Ukrainian journalist is released from Russian custody in occupied Crimea (Image: AP)
Ukrainian Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty journalist Vladyslav Yesypenko was released Sunday after more than four years in Russian custody in Crimea, according to RFE/RL.
Yesypenko was arrested and jailed on March 10, 2021, in Crimea, which was illegally annexed by Russia in 2014, on suspicion of gathering intelligence for Ukraine, a charge he denied.
In February 2022, a Russian-installed court in Crimea sentenced the dual Russian-Ukrainian citizen to six years on espionage charges that he, his employer and rights groups said were fabricated. Months later, he was also charged with possessing explosives - a claim he denies. Prosecutors later acknowledged the grenade found in his car did not bear his fingerprints.
The top Moscow-controlled court in Crimea later reduced Yesypenko's sentence to five years.
During his trial, he testified that he was tortured with electric shocks to extract a false confession.
"For more than four years, Vlad was arbitrarily punished for a crime he did not commit. He paid too high of a price for reporting the truth about what was taking place inside Russia-occupied Crimea," RFE/RL chief executive Stephen Capus said, adding that Yesypenko had been "tortured, physically and psychologically."
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
Buy One, Get One Free, Up To 50% Discount, Expiring Soon
Original Adidas
Get Offer
Undo
Capus thanked the US and Ukrainian governments for "working with us to ensure that Vlad's unjust detention was not prolonged."
In a post on Telegram, Ukrainian presidential aide Andriy Yermak thanked everyone who helped secure Yesypenko's release.
He was freed shortly after longtime RFE/RL correspondent Ihar Karnei was released from prison in Belarus, following a rare visit by a senior US official.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
9 minutes ago
- Time of India
Israeli airstrikes kill 34 in Gaza: Trump eyes truce ‘within a week'; UN aid looted
34 people were killed in Gaza by Israeli airstrikes, according to health officials. The strikes began late Friday and continued till Saturday morning. The dead included 12 people killed at the Palestine Stadium in Gaza City, where displaced people were sheltering, and eight more in nearby apartments, according to staff at Shifa Hospital where the bodies were taken. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Six others were killed in southern Gaza when a strike hit their tent in Muwasi, the hospital reported. The attacks come as US President said there could be a ceasefire agreement within the next week. Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office on Friday, he said, 'We're working on Gaza and trying to get it taken care of.' Israel's minister for strategic affairs, Ron Dermer, is expected to arrive in Washington next week for talks on Gaza's ceasefire, as reported by news agency AP. Negotiations have been on and off since Israel broke the latest ceasefire in March and continued its military campaign in Gaza. So far, the war has killed over 56,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which says more than half of the dead are women and children. Families of Israeli hostages hope Trump's role in securing the recent ceasefire between Israel and Iran will increase pressure for a deal in Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister has gained strong public support because of the conflict with Iran. Hamas has said it is willing to free all hostages in exchange for an end to the war. But Netanyahu insists the war will only end if Hamas is disarmed and its leaders are exiled, conditions Hamas has rejected. Meanwhile, Palestinians in Gaza are enduring severe shortages of food and other essentials. After blocking all food for two and a half months, Israel has allowed only limited supplies into the territory since mid-May. efforts to distribute food have been disrupted by armed gangs looting trucks and by desperate crowds unloading supplies from convoys.
Time of India
14 minutes ago
- Time of India
Four arrested over pro-Palestine vandalism at UK air base
pro- Palestine protest (Image credits: AP) Four people have been arrested in connection with a pro-Palestinian protest that involved vandalising military aircraft at an airbase in in the United Kingdom, authorities said. On June 20, two activists from the group Palestine Action allegedly broke into the Royal Air Force's Brize Norton base in Oxfordshire, England, where they sprayed red paint on two refueling and transport aircraft and damaged them with crowbars. Three individuals, aged 29 to 36, were arrested on suspicion of committing, preparing, or instigating acts of terrorism. A fourth person, a 41-year-old woman, was arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender, according to UK police. UK moves to ban protest group Palestine Action Palestine Action, who claimed the action, responded to the arrests by accusing authorities of cracking down on "nonviolent protests" that disrupt the flow of weapons to Israel during what it called the country's "genocide in Palestine." Last week, British prime minister Keir Starmer labeled the act "disgraceful," while Home Secretary Yvette Cooper on Monday announced plans to ban Palestine Action under anti-terrorism laws. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch vàng CFDs với sàn môi giới tin cậy IC Markets Tìm hiểu thêm Undo According to Cooper, the group's actions have become "more aggressive," with members showing a "willingness to use violence." The Home Secretary decided to proscribe the group following the incident. Once the ban takes effect next Friday, supporting the group will become a criminal offense punishable by up to 14 years in prison. Since the outbreak of the war in Gaza, Palestine Action has targeted facilities linked to Israeli defense contractor Elbit Systems, as well as other companies with ties to Israel.
Time of India
34 minutes ago
- Time of India
Doctor kept under 'digital arrest' for 8 days, loses Rs 3 cr to cyber criminals
A 70-year-old doctor was cheated by cyber criminals of Rs 3 crore and kept under " digital arrest " for eight days after being accused of involvement in a non-existent money laundering scam, a Mumbai police official said on Saturday. In the month of May, the victim got a call from a person identifying himself as telecom department staffer Amit Kumar, who told her a SIM card had been bought with her personal details for use in criminal activities. "She then got a call from another person who identified himself as Crime Branch officer Samadhan Pawar. He told the victim that her bank account and debit card details were found in a raid at the residence of an airline company owner who was earlier arrested for money laundering and is currently out on medical bail," the official said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like West Bengal Mosquito Crisis Solved by Strange New Device (See How) Mosquito Eliminator Read More Undo The accused sent her multiple documents claiming these were from probe agencies like CBI, Enforcement Directorate as well as the RBI. "A man in police uniform also spoke to her husband on video call, all of which convinced her about the case. She was then put under video surveillance, which these fraudsters call digital arrest, for eight days. She was made to report to them every hour during this period. Out of fear, she transferred Rs 3 crore into various bank accounts given to her," he said. Live Events She approached West Region cyber police station on June 5, after which a case was registered, the official said. A probe has found the accused converted Rs 82 lakh in cryptocurrency, he said, adding efforts were on to nab them and retrieve the lost money.
