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The Wall Street Journal journalist Evan Gershkovich is shown in this undated photo. Photo: AP

US condemns Russia’s arrest of WSJ reporter Evan Gershkovich, urges Americans to leave

  • Washington responds to Russia’s arrest of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich
  • Kremlin spokesman said Gershkovich was ‘caught red-handed’, but US calls charge ‘ridiculous’
Russia
Agencies
The United States strongly condemned Moscow’s decision to detain a Wall Street Journal reporter, saying Russia is not a safe country for Americans and those there should leave immediately.

The travel advice came after a Moscow court arrested reporter Evan Gershkovich on Thursday, saying he was spying for the US. Russian officials said they would keep the reporter in detention until at least May 29.

“I want to strongly reiterate that Americans should heed the US government’s warning to not travel to Russia, said White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.

“US citizens residing or travelling in Russia should depart immediately, as the State Department continues to advise,” she added.

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Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich detained in Russia on espionage charges

Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich detained in Russia on espionage charges

In a statement, the White House said Russia’s targeting of American citizens is “unacceptable” and it condemns Gershkovich’s detention “the strongest terms”.

“The charge of espionage is ridiculous,” it added.

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The journalist was detained in Yekaterinburg in the Ural Mountains some 1,460km east of Moscow.

Reporters Without Borders said Gershkovich was investigating the Wagner Group, the privately-run army playing a prominent role in Russia’s military offensive in Ukraine. The group is controlled by Yevgeny Prigozhin, a close ally of President Vladimir Putin.

The Russian domestic intelligence service FSB claimed however that Gershkovich was detained “while attempting to obtain classified information” on Russia’s military “in the interests of the American government”.

“As far as we know, he was caught red-handed,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told state radio on Thursday. The Sverdlovsk region around Yekaterinburg is considered one of the strongholds of Russia’s arms industry.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova used the case as an opportunity to accuse Western correspondents in general of spying on Russia under the guise of journalism. Zakharova said what Gershkovich dealt with in Yekaterinburg had nothing to do with journalism.

“Unfortunately, this is not the first case where the status of a foreign correspondent, journalist visa and accreditation of foreigners in our country are used to disguise an activity that is not journalism,” she said on Telegram.

The State Department is in direct contact with the Russian government and is actively seeking to provide Gershkovich with consular access, Jean-Pierre said.

Evan Gershkovich being escorted by officers from the Lefortovsky court to a bus, in Moscow, Russia. Photo: AP

The Wall Street Journal vehemently denied the allegations, called for Gershkovich’s release and said it was concerned about his welfare.

Gershkovich, born in 1991, is a fluent Russian speaker. He worked for Agence France-Presse in Moscow before joining the Wall Street Journal early last year.

He was previously a reporter for The Moscow Times, an English-language news website.

He faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted. The Russian legal system is considered highly politicised and charges nearly always lead to convictions.

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Kremlin watchers said Gershkovich’s case recalled that of US journalist Nicholas Daniloff, who was detained and accused of spying by the Soviet Union in 1986 before being released and sent home without charge. Daniloff said he had been framed.

Western political analysts speculated Moscow could seek to barter Gershkovich in a prisoner swap with Washington or use him as diplomatic leverage in some other way.

In December, Moscow freed US basketball star Brittney Griner – arrested for bringing cannabis oil into the country – in exchange for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.
Several US citizens are currently in detention in Russia, and Washington has sought to arrange an exchange for Paul Whelan, a former US Marine, arrested in 2018 and handed a 16-year sentence on espionage charges. He is held in a penal colony south of Moscow.

But Moscow said on Thursday it was too early to discuss any potential swap.

“Some exchanges that took place in the past, they were for people who were already serving their sentences,” Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told reporters.

dpa, Agence France-Presse, Reutetrs and Bloomberg

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