28 Hostages of the Kremlyn

28 HOSTAGES OF THE KREMLIN
6. THE CASE OF YURIY YATSENKO AND BOHDAN YARICHEVSKIY
In May 2014, Yuriy Yatsenko and Bohdan Yarychevskyi were detained by
police officers in Kursk Province (Russia). Despite the court order to expel the
young people from the country, Bohdan and Yuriy were held in custody for 4 and
12 months, respectively, in the absence of any grounds.
Currently, the case of Yuriy Yatsenko and Bohdan Yarychevskyi is
unprecedented among a number of ‘Ukrainian cases’ due to its positive outcome.
| | Detention
Over the years 2013‐2014, Yuriy Yatsenko repeatedly travelled to Russia in connection with
petty trade (‘shuttle trade’) — he resold equipment, purchased in one country, at a higher
price in the other country. During his last trip, he was joined by Bohdan Yarychevskyi. On
5 May, 2014, they both arrived in the city of Oboyan (Kursk Province, Russia). When registering
at the hotel reception, they handed over their passports. The next morning, the two Ukrainians
were detained by the police in the hotel building.
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During their interrogation at the police station, 68 the young men were subjected to pressure,
aimed at forcing them to confess to the involvement in the ‘Right Sector’ or the Security Service
of Ukraine. They were pressured into confessing to their participation in anti-Russian activities
on television and publicly renouncing their Ukrainian citizenship. Yuriy and Bohdan refused to
do so, and, as a consequence, they were beaten for three days. Then, they were transferred to
the district department of the FSB Directorate in Oboyan.
| | An administrative offense and a failed expulsion
After several days of psychological and physical pressure, the young men appeared in court,
where the case on violation of immigration legislation was considered. By the decision of the
court of 8 May, 2014, they were obliged to pay a fine of 2,000 rubles (approx. 30 euros) and
their forced expulsion from the country was to be carried out within 10 days. However, after this
period of time had elapsed, the ruling had still not been executed.
It should be noted that for all this time, Yuriy and Bohdan were systematically refused access
to a laywer, they were also prohibited from making a phone call to their family members. In
Ukraine, no one knew of their fate until Yuriy was successful in getting a message out the prison
via a cellmate, who was released from prison.
Information leakage allowed the launch of a campaign in support of Yuriy and Bohdan. The
Russian side began to be subjected to informational pressure. On 6 June, 2014, during his first
visit to the detention facility to visit the detainees, Consul of Ukraine Gennadiy Breskalenko
confirmed the presence of external signs of violence on their bodies. On 9 June, 2014, another
expulsion was appointed; however, once again, it was not executed.
68 Den [‘The day’] / The case of a Lviv hostage student in Russia — www.day.Kyiv.ua/uk/article/podrobici/
sprava-lvivskogo-studenta-zaruchnika-v-rosiyi