Wall Street Journal Summary – Biden says he’s working to secure release of Wall Street Journal reporter held for a year in Russia
Over the Paywall – Good Info News Wire
Key Facts
- Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich has been detained in Russia for one year, with President Joe Biden stating that the U.S. is working daily towards securing his release.
- Gershkovich was accused by the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) of collecting state secrets on U.S. orders, which he, alongside the Journal and the U.S. government, deny.
- Another American, Paul Whelan, was arrested in Russia in 2018 on espionage charges and sentenced to 16 years in prison in 2020, with Secretary of State Antony Blinken stating that people should not be used as bargaining chips.
President Joe Biden has reiterated the United States’ commitment to securing the release of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, marking the one-year anniversary of his detention in Russia. Gershkovich was arrested on a reporting trip in the Ural Mountains city of Yekaterinburg, accused by the Federal Security Service of gathering state secrets for the U.S. The accusation, for which no evidence was provided, has been denied by Gershkovich, the Journal and the U.S. government.
On the front page of the Wall Street Journal, a large blank space was left in solidarity with Gershkovich, indicating his story should be present. His trial has been postponed until June 30th, the fifth extension of his detention. Biden asserted that the government would not give up hope and will keep working to secure his release.
Biden also mentioned that the U.S. is working to free all Americans held hostage or wrongfully detained abroad. This includes Paul Whelan, a corporate executive from Michigan who was arrested in Russia in 2018 and sentenced to 16 years in prison in 2020 under espionage charges. Secretary of State Antony Blinken voiced his support for both Gershkovich and Whelan, urging Russia to stop using individuals as political leverage.
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