Russia charges detained Wall Street Journal reporter with espionage
Rachel Schilke
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The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) formally charged a Wall Street Journal reporter who has been detained in the country since March with espionage.
Russian state news agency TASS announced the FSB’s charges against Evan Gershkovich on Friday, acknowledging that the reporter had denied he was guilty. It is unclear if the charges were brought down during a court hearing.
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Kremlin authorities have accused Gershkovich of spying on behalf of the United States. He was arrested on March 29 and faces a 20-year sentence if convicted, despite being accredited by the Russian Foreign Ministry to work as a journalist in the country.
The Moscow City Court is set to hear the reporter’s appeal on April 18. Gershkovich is being held until May 29 in a pretrial detention center.
Several U.S. lawmakers, Biden administration senior officials, and the Wall Street Journal have called for Gershkovich’s release. The news outlet has adamantly denied that its reporter violated international law.
As of Thursday, attempts to gain consular access to Gershkovich remain unsuccessful. Reporter access to Gershkovich is something U.S. officials are hoping to discuss with Russian authorities, according to National Security Council coordinator John Kirby.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said that he believes Gershkovich is being wrongfully detained, a designation the State Department assesses based on law determining the case’s jurisdiction.
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In a rare moment of bipartisanship, Senate leaders Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Mitch McConnell (R-KY) released a joint statement on Friday calling for Gershkovich’s release and for all charges to be dropped.
Gershkovich’s detainment is the first for a U.S. journalist since the Cold War.