The United States has expressed “deep concern” over the decision by a Moscow court to extend the pre-trial detention of American reporter Evan Gershkovich.
Gershkovich, who held Russian Ministry accreditation as a reporter for the Wall Street Journal, was arrested by Russian authorities in March 2023 in the city of Yekaterinburg. Taken to the infamous Lefortovo prison in Moscow, he was charged with espionage and faces a sentence of up to 20 years, if convicted. The court’s decision on November 28 is the third time the American reporter’s pre-trial detention has been extended.
Gershkovich, his employer, and the United States government have denied the charges against him. The White House called them “baseless.” In April, Secretary of State Antony Blinken made the determination that Gershkovich is “wrongfully detained” and called for his immediate release. The designation by the U.S. government that a person is “wrongfully detained” means the United States believes charges against him or her are spurious and that the State Department’s Office of the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs will handle negotiations for the individual’s release. Businessman Paul Whelan is another American citizen the State Department has designated as wrongfully detained in Russia.
U.S. Embassy representatives attended the court hearing for Evan Gershkovich on November 28. “We are deeply concerned by the court’s decision to extend his detention for an additional two months,” the Embassy said in a statement. “Evan has already been in pretrial detention without legal grounds for almost eight months. We reiterate our call for Evan’s immediate release.” As Secretary Blinken has stated, “Journalism is not a crime. We condemn the Kremlin’s continued repression of independent voices in Russia, and its ongoing war against the truth.”
At a recent press briefing, State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller declared that bringing Evan Gershkovich home “continues to be a top priority ... as it is to bring Paul Whelan home. It is something that we have worked on at the seniormost levels in this government and we will continue to make it one of our top priorities.”
