US: American Wall Street Journal writer Evan Gershkovich was “wrongfully detained” by Russia, the United States said on Monday, effectively denying the validity of the espionage allegations and stating that the matter is political. Vedant Patel, a representative for the State Department, stated in a statement that journalism is not illegal. “We condemn the Kremlin’s ongoing war against the truth and its continued repression of independent voices in Russia.”
American government will offer Gershkovich and his family the necessary assistance
According to Patel, the American government will offer Gershkovich and his family the necessary assistance. Paul Whelan, a former U.S. Marine serving a 16-year sentence in a Russian prison and likewise deemed to have been “wrongfully detained” by Washington, was also called for his release by Patel. On March 30, the Russian FSB security service announced that it had detained Gershkovich on charges that he had amassed information on a Russian defence firm that was a state secret.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed Washington’s worries
A request for comment on the designation was not immediately answered by the Russian embassy in Washington. Gershkovich was not spying, according to The Wall Street Journal. The espionage charge, which carries a maximum 20-year prison sentence, has been dubbed “ridiculous” by the White House. In a phone discussion on April 2 with his Russian colleague Sergei Lavrov, Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed Washington’s worries about the reporter’s “unacceptable detention.” U.S. President Joe Biden has urged for Gershkovich’s release.
More than 30 additional Americans are still detained abroad
While Moscow had officially informed Washington about Gershkovich’s arrest over the weekend, it had not yet given U.S. consular officials access to the journalist, Patel had earlier told reporters. The “wrongfully detained” tag will unlock additional resources and attention at the highest levels of the U.S. government in securing his release, according to the publisher and chief editor of The Wall Street Journal. Whether the person is being held in “inhumane conditions” or whether they were detained in a nation where the American embassy has received reliable allegations that the imprisonment is only being used as an excuse is another consideration. At least 25 Americans who had been “wrongfully detained” have been released thanks to the Biden administration. More than 30 additional Americans are still detained abroad under that category.
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