Ukrainian journalist Vladyslav Yesypenko was freed after over four years of detention by Russian authorities in Crimea. He was arrested in March 2021, charged with espionage and possessing explosives, both of which he denied. Rights groups claimed the charges were fabricated, and Yesypenko testified he was tortured. His release followed the release of another journalist, Ihar Karnei, in Belarus. Media freedom in Crimea has significantly declined since Russia's annexation in 2014.