OSCE deplores tortures of detained journalist Yesypenko in Crimea

RFE/RL

The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media said to be horrified at the news about torture inflicted by a FSB officer to Vladyslav Yesipenko, a freelancer for Radio Liberty who had been arrested in Crimea (“Krym.Realii” RFE/RL’s project). 

Teresa Ribeiro said it on Twitter, as Krym.Realii reported.

“Freelancer Vladislav Yesypenko from RFE / RL, recently arrested in #Crimea, stated that he was tortured. This is deeply shocking and deplorable news, which represents yet another disturbing example of the already dire situation regarding freedom of expression and the safety of journalists, ” Ribeiro wrote.

As IMI reported, on April 13, Vladislav Yesipenko's lawyer Oleksiy Ladin said that his client was threatened with murder by an FSB officer, if he withheld his previous testimony he made under torture. Ladin said, the conversation happened on April 12 in the pre-trial detention center №1 Simferopol.

"After our meeting yesterday (12 April. - Ed. ) in detention center, as soon as I and my colleague Emil Kurbedinov left the ward, Vladyslav Yesypenko was summoned to a nearby room, where the FSB employee was present at that moment. The latter again began threatening Vladyslav Yesypenko with physical violence and murder if he withheld what he had said previously. It has been known that my client gave these testimonies under torture, actually perjured himself of a non-existent crime, ” the lawyer said.

As IMI reported, on April 12, Russian FSB officers in Crimea threatened the execution to Vladyslav Yesypenko, an arrested contributor to Radio Liberty (Crimea.Reality RFE/RL project), after he accused the FSB of torturing him before the Crimean court..

As IMI reported, on April 6, Vladyslav Yesipenko said that FSB investigators had tortured him. He said this on April 6 during a session of the Supreme Court of Crimea.

On March 10, on March 10, n March 10, Russian FSB officers detained Vladislav Yesipenko, a freelancer of Radio Svoboda (Crimea.Realities project), in the occupied Crimea. Yesipenko took part in the action dedicated to Taras Shevchenko's anniversary, which took place in Simferopol on March 9. The arrest term is until May 11.

Yesipenko 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."

Human rights activists said Yesipenko was denied access to an independent lawyer and called for his release .

On March 12, it became known that Yesipenko was being held in a temporary detention facility in Simferopol.

On March 19, it became known that Vladyslav Yesipenko was accused of espionage in favor of the secret services of Ukraine. Human rights activists do not exclude that the FSB would use physical pressure on him.

The same day, his wife claimed she feared for his lige and health. "I want to say once again that I fear for the life and health of my husband, especially after yesterday's video. This video is another proof of beatings, torture and abuse of a person. This is confirmed by the non-admission of two independent lawyers to her husband,” as Kateryna said.

According to her, there were traces of beatings on his face and neck. In addition, despite the fact that she sent him a parcel with clothes, he was given someone else's clothes, under which they tried to hide something.

"The shape of the body was visually disproportionate, that is, I assume that he had something disguised under his clothes: either a device or a corset," the woman suggested.