US Designates WSJ Reporter as ‘Wrongfully Detained’ by Russia

The United States government has determined that Evan Gershkovich, an American journalist working for the Wall Street Journal, has been wrongfully detained by the Russian government. This finding contradicts the espionage charges leveled against him and implies that his case is politically motivated.

In its statement, the State Department declared that “journalism is not a crime.” The US government pledged its support to Gershkovich and his family. Officials also called for Russia to release former US Marine Paul Whelan, who is likewise deemed to have been wrongfully detained.

Russia’s FSB security service previously accused Gershkovich of gathering information concerning a secret state defense company. The Wall Street Journal has repeatedly denied that its reporter was spying. US President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken have both voiced their concerns and called for Gershkovich’s release.

This unjust detention designation enables the US government to allocate more resources toward securing Gershkovich’s release. It also raises the profile of the issue and signals a call for human rights activists to intensify their efforts to make this case known to the public.

The Biden administration has managed to secure the release of twenty-five wrongly detained Americans thus far.