Stanislav Aseyev (, also Stanyslav Asieiev; born October 1, 1989) is a Ukrainian writer and journalist, human rights activist, founder Justice Initiative Fund. His best known work is the novel The Torture Camp on Paradise Street (2020). In May 2014 his native city of Donetsk fell under control of pro-Russian militants and he remained there. During the period of 2015–2017 Aseyev was publishing his reports (writing under the pen name Stanislav Vasin) for Mirror Weekly newspaper and other Ukrainian media, before 2 June 2017, when he disappeared. On 16 July, an agent of the Ministry of State Security of the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) confirmed that he was kidnapped by militants from the DNR.
Despite huge international support Aseyev was sentenced for 15 years and spent 962 days in Izolyatsia prison. He was released as part of a prison exchange and handed over to Ukrainian authorities on 29 December 2019.
Biography
Aseyev was born in Donetsk in 1989. In 2006 he graduated from secondary school in the town of Makiivka and started courses at the Institute of Informatics and Artificial Intelligence of Donetsk National Technical University. There he earned a master's degree in Religious Studies with Honors in 2012.
His philosophical interests included 20th-century French and German ontology.
According to a biography published in Yunost magazine, after attending the university, Aseyev travelled to Paris, where he applied for service in the French Foreign Legion, then came back to Ukraine and tried many professions such as loader, intern at a bank, grave digger, operator in a mailing company, and shop assistant.
Journalism in Donetsk
Aseyev had stayed in Donetsk after it was captured by pro-Russian militants in 2014. He described the war in Donbass and his life under occupation in his novel and journalistic reports.
Aseyev used the pseudonym Stanislav Vasin to report from territories occupied by the Russian military and pro-Russian militants. He used the pseudonym due to widespread persecutions by the Ministry of State Security and different militants’ groups of the self-proclaimed DPR. Aseyev's position wasn't clearly pro-Ukrainian (he was often accused by commentators of "a lack of patriotism" or "immaturity of political views"). His reports exposing crimes in the DPR consisted of reports of war crimes of the Republic's militants, Russian activities in Donbass, and pro-Ukrainian resistance.
In 2015 his reports were published by Ukrayinska Pravda. Between 2016 and 2017 he was a correspondent of the Mirror Weekly, a notable Ukrainian newspaper where he published 14 articles. Also in 2016 — 2017 he wrote about 50 articles and photo-reports for the US government outlet Radio Liberty.
Kidnapping
Aseyev’s last report was for RFE/RL's project Donbass Realities, sent on June 2, 2017 (disputable if it was really written by him or, maybe, under pressure of kidnappers). His Facebook page was active for a while but probably managed by another person.
Aseyev's mother (living in Makiivka near Donetsk) visited his apartment and saw traces of illegal entry and search.
His fellow student and former MP Yehor Firsov reported Aseyev's disappearance on June 6 accusing Russia-backed militants of kidnapping. Later this was commented on by Security Service of Ukraine, UN Monitoring Mission on Human Rights to Ukraine, Ukraine Journalists Union.
On July 16, 2017, an agent of the DNR's Ministry of State Security confirmed to Aseyev's mother that her son was in their custody and that he was suspected of espionage. Independent media were not allowed to report from the DNR-controlled territory.
In July 2018, Aseyev reportedly began a hunger strike while being imprisoned.
In October 2019 the Supreme Court of the DNR found Aseyev guilty on charges of organizing an extremist group, espionage and incitement to espionage, and public actions aimed at violating territorial integrity of the DNR; he was sentenced to 15 years in prison. An international campaign, #FreeAseyev, for journalist's release was launched. It was supported by authorities, professional communities and human rights activists, active between 2017 and 2019. Last events of the campaign were held a few weeks before his release on November 15, 2019. People gathered on "Empty chair day" in Kyiv, Lviv, Kramatorsk, New York, Rome and London.