Wall Street Journal reiterates calls for reporter & colleague Evan Gershkovich’s release

The US' Wall Street Journal has reiterated its demand for the release of American reporter Evan Gershkovich, one of its reporters who is currently detained in Russia on charges of espionage.

According to a statement released on Twitter, The Wall Street Journal is calling for the immediate release of their colleague Evan Gershkovich, an accomplished journalist who was arrested in Russia while on a reporting assignment. The statement describes the american reporter's detention as a severe attack on press freedom, which should provoke anger from all people who value liberty and governments worldwide.

Previously, The Wall Street Journal had refuted all allegations made against their reporter and urged for his prompt release. They also expressed apprehensions regarding Evan Gershkovich's well-being and safety while in custody.

Russian news agency TASS quoted the Public Relations Center of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB), who said that Evan Gershkovich, "acting at the behest of the American side, collected information constituting a state secret about the activities of an enterprise within Russia’s military-industrial complex."

Gershkovich, the reporter in question, was detained in the city of Yekaterinburg in the Urals. The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) initiated a criminal case against the American citizen under Article 276 of the Russian Criminal Code, which deals with "epionage". Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that the journalist had been caught in the act. On March 30, the Lefortovo district court in Moscow ordered Gershkovich's arrest until May 29.

Gershkovich's arrest

An American journalist working for The Wall Street Journal, Gershkovich, was arrested on March 31 by Russia's security service on charges of espionage. This is the first time since the Cold War that a US correspondent has been detained on spying accusations. The Wall Street Journal has denied the allegations and called for his immediate release.

The arrest took place in Yekaterinburg, which is Russia's fourth-largest city and approximately 1,670 kilometres (1,035 miles) east of Moscow. The country's Federal Security Service, also known as the FSB and the successor to the Soviet-era KGB, has accused Gershkovich of attempting to obtain classified information. It alleged that Gershkovich “was acting on instructions from the American side to collect information about the activities of one of the enterprises of the Russian military-industrial complex that constitutes a state secret.”

The Journal “vehemently denies the allegations from the FSB and seeks the immediate release of our trusted and dedicated reporter, Evan Gershkovich,” the newspaper said. “We stand in solidarity with Evan and his family.”

This arrest occurs during a time of heightened tension between the West and Moscow due to Russia's war in Ukraine. Additionally, the Kremlin has recently been increasing its suppression of opposition activists, independent journalists, and civil society organisations.