(NEW YORK)— The release of Ukrainian journalist Vladyslav Yesypenko after more than four years in Russian detention is welcome and long overdue news, PEN America said today. The Russian government should now release all unjustly imprisoned writers and journalists in its prisons.
“We are overjoyed that Vlad has finally been released from Russian custody and reunited with his family, said Liesl Gerntholtz, managing director of the PEN/Barbey Freedom To Write Center. “For more than four years, he endured wrongful imprisonment, torture, and the profound pain of being separated from his wife and daughter—all for speaking truth to power. His courage in the face of repression, and his unwavering commitment to free expression, inspire us deeply.”
Days before his arrest in March 2021, Yesypenko was collecting footage for a video about how Crimean residents’ lives had changed in the past seven years. Since Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014, followed by the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the Russian government has deepened its assault on free expression and information. In Crimea, the Russian government has tried to erase the Tatars’ culture and language while jailing writers, journalists, and activists.
As of today, the Russian authorities continue to imprison at least 17 Ukrainian journalists from Crimea. In 2024, Russian authorities held 18 writers in prison or detention during the year, an increase from the year prior, according to PEN America’s Freedom to Write Index. At least 17 Ukrainian journalists have been killed while covering the war, including Viktoria Roshchyna, who was repeatedly subject to torture.
“Today, we celebrate Vlad’s freedom and this victory for free expression. Tomorrow, we recommit to the fight for every writer and journalist still unjustly imprisoned in and by Russia,” said Gerntholtz. “Journalism is not a crime, and we call on the U.S. government to press for the release of all those targeted simply for telling the truth.”
In 2022, Yesypenko received the PEN/Barbey Freedom to Write Award for his courageous reporting, and PEN America has continued to advocate for his release. As a freelance journalist for the Krym.Realii Project, a Crimean radio access program and news source run by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, his work focused on the stories of Ukrainians who have faced years of Russian occupation.
During his time in detention, Yesypenko was repeatedly tortured—causing his health to rapidly deteriorate—threatened with death, forced to confess to crimes he had not committed, and prevented from accessing independent legal counselors. After being charged with illegal weapons manufacture and transport in August 2021, he was sentenced to six years in prison and a fine on retaliatory “weapons” charges in February 2022. Upon appeal, his prison term was reduced to five years in August 2022.
The PEN/Barbey Freedom to Write Award, given annually, recognizes an imprisoned writer or writers targeted for the exercise of free expression. Of the 55 jailed writers who have received the award since 1987, 48 have been released due in part to the global attention and pressure the award generates.
About PEN America
PEN America stands at the intersection of literature and human rights to protect free expression in the United States and worldwide. We champion the freedom to write, recognizing the power of the word to transform the world. Our mission is to unite writers and their allies to celebrate creative expression and defend the liberties that make it possible.