At court, Yesypenko said his depositions extorted under torture
The journalist Vladyslav Yesypenko said that all the testimony he gave during the preliminary investigation was extorted under torture. He said this being on trial on September 6 in the Russian-controlled Simferopol City Court, as “Crimean Solidarity” reported.
He also said that he was suspected of collaborating with the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine. Yesypenko himself denies this and said that he covered the social and political developments in Crimea.
After that, Yesypenko answered the questions of the parties and the judges started questionning witnesses in this case. In particular, an FSB intelligence officer was interrogated, who said that “they had information about Vladislav Yesypenko's involvement in the illicit trafficking of ammunition and explosives. Later, they got operational information saying that Yesypenko would carry ammunition, and the FSB organized an operation to detain him. " An FSB officer also denied torturing the journalist.
After that, another witness was interrogated, a cynologist, who inspected the defendant's car together with the service dog. In court, he confirmed that his dog had found an explosive device in Yesipenko's car.
The journalist's lawyer, Dmytro Dinze, described Yesypenko's physical condition as depressed and noted that he had panic attacks because he feared threats from the FSB.
The next meeting will take place on September 13.
As IMI reported, on July 15, in the Russian-controlled Simferopol District Court, a Russian prosecutor issued an indictment in the case of journalist for Radio Liberty Vladyslav Yesypenko. He is charged under Articles 223-1 (illegal manufacture of explosives, processing or repair of explosive devices) and 222.1 (illegal acquisition, transfer, sale, storage, transportation or carrying of weapons, their main parts, ammunition) of the Criminal Code of Russia.
Sanctions under both articles include up to 12 years in prison. The maximum term of imprisonment under a combination of two articles is 18 years of imprisonment.
On July 6, the Simferopol Occupation Court extended Vladyslav Yesypenko's arrest until January 18. Yesypenko fainted that day as he was being transported from the court building to a pre-trial detention center.
On 5 May, a new charge was brought against Vladyslav Yesypenko. His wife Kateryna Yesypenko said Vladyslav was accused additionally of an illegal acquisition, transfer, sale, storage, or carrying of weapons and ammunition (Art. 222 of the Criminal Code).
As IMI reported, on April 13, Vladyslav Yesypenko's lawyer Oleksiy Ladin said that his client was threatened with murder by a FSB officer if he withheld his previous testimony he made under torture.
As IMI reported, on April 6, Vladyslav Yesypenko said that FSB investigators had tortured him.
As IMI reported, on March 10, Russian FSB officers detained Vladislav Yesypenko in the occupied Crimea. Yesypenko took part in the action dedicated to Taras Shevchenko's anniversary, which took place in Simferopol on March 9.
Vladyslav Yesypenko is accused of gathering information "in the interests of Ukraine's special services," including for the Foreign Intelligence Service, the Russian FSB's Public Relations Center reported on March 16. According to the FSB, Yesipenko "carried out photo and video recording of the area, livelihoods and places of mass stay of people in the Crimea."
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