U.S. Reporter Detained in Russia, Accused of Espionage
Should the U.S. and Russia do another prisoner swap?
What’s the story?
- U.S. citizen and reporter for the Wall Street Journal, Evan Gershkovich, has been detained on espionage charges in Russia.
- Russian security services alleged that Gershkovich was trying to obtain classified information “about the activities of one of the enterprises of the Russian military industrial complex” during a trip to Ekaterinburg.
- Local media reported that a Russian court ordered him to be held in pre-trial detention until at least May 29. If Gershkovich is charged with espionage, he could face up to 20 years in prison.
- The journalist has lived in Moscow for six years and worked for the Moscow Times and Agence France-Presse before the Wall Street Journal. Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) claimed he was “acting on instructions from the American side.”
- Gershkovich is the first U.S. reporter to be accused of espionage in Russia since the end of the cold war. The hope of his release may rely on a prisoner swap, just like the swap of Russia’s Viktor Bout, an arms dealer nicknamed the Merchant of Death, for U.S. basketball play Brittney Griner.
What they’re saying
- Maria Zakharova, a spokesperson for Russia’s foreign ministry, said Gershkovich was using his journalistic accreditation as a cover for other illegal activities.
“What the Wall Street Journal employee was doing in Ekaterinburg had nothing to do with journalism.”
- Gershokovich’s friends and colleagues said the accusations were ridiculous. His employer said:
“The Wall Street Journal vehemently denies the allegations from the FSB and seeks the immediate release of our trusted and dedicated reporter, Evan Gershkovich. We stand in solidarity with Evan and his family.”
- Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the U.S. is “deeply concerned” about the detention. He said in a statement:
“In the strongest possible terms, we condemn the Kremlin’s continued attempts to intimidate, repress, and punish journalists and civil society voices.”
- Blinken repeated the government’s “strong warnings about the danger posed to U.S. citizens” in Russia and urged them to leave the country immediately.
- Ivan Pavlov, Russia’s leading defense lawyer in espionage cases, believes Gershkovich was arrested as a negotiation tactic. He said:
“It’s clear that they’ve taken a hostage. They’ve chosen a well-known journalist from an authoritative media outlet. The idea is to have an ace up their sleeve for negotiations.”
Reporting in Russia
- Since President Vladimir Putin launched the Russian invasion of Ukraine, reporting from inside Russia has been challenging and dangerous. Many journalists have left the country for this reason.
- Russia introduced restrictive media, reporting, and information laws amid the war. Dozens of journalists have been blacklisted, barred from entry, and stripped of their accreditations.
- The Wall Street Journal is one of the small handful of Western media outlets that continue to report in Moscow.
Should the U.S. and Russia do another prisoner swap?
-Jamie Epstein
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The putin is just trying to goad the US into a direct conflict with this, his next geopolitical and egregious stunt. All the more reason to get Ukraine more long range and effective weaponry so they can quickly and decisively drive the Russian invaders and war criminals out of each and every of Ukraine's sovereign territories.
This needs to happen ASAP, before the putin has time to grease his propaganda machine with justifications for his next more egregious act. Give Ukraine whatever is necessary or wahtever may be necessary to do this now - the longer it takes, the more the putin will resort to these asymmetric warfare tactics - and the more dangerous he will become.
While I don't agree with what Russia is doing, and a prisoner swap is in order if we actually have a prisoner Russia wants which we don't (one is in Germany, one is in Brazil), what US citizen in their right mind is in Russia now.
Let employers take responsibility fir their employees they send abroad. The companies I've worked for did. They followed travel advisories, and they rescued workers like 9-11 when many travelers were stranded overseas. They carried travel & extraction insurance for employees traveling in dangerous areas.
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/united-states-tells-citizens-depart-russia-immediately-2023-02-13/
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/russia-travel-advisory.html
I support getting all hostages detained in Russia back, including Gershkovich. I'm sure it will take some time, as it always does, but I doubt that Russia will let him go without something in return.
But let's not prioritize one prisoner over others, even though that seems to be the way this works. Let's try to get multiple prisoners back this time.
Lesley Stahl's propaganda interview on 60 Minutes this week needs to be shut down! I have lost all respect for her and I have been watching her since her beginning. That she chose a treasonous, uneducated, lying, violence-inciting, racist ( I could go on and on) witch to intervene makes me wonder if she is so old she is now out of her mind. FYI, I am over 70, so I know what I'm talking about!
Lesley, if this program, and others like this, are not pulled, I will NEVER watch an interview by you again. You will disgrace our country by allowing her to spout her lies. Have you not seen her outrageously-destructive comments from just this past week? If this segment airs, you are done as far as I am concerned!
And so is CBS!
We pick up Russian spy in the USA knowing they are spying, they pick up journalist!
we should always do whatever we can to return a fellow American back to the U.S.
I'm certain Vladimir Putin is shaking in his baby seal boots at the prospect of Biden threatening him over this. At last check, this reporter isn't a lesbian basketball celebrity, so he's got that working against him. I guess he could always transition and gain Biden's attention. Anyway, what's Joe got to trade? He shot his wad giving up the Arm's Dealer. Short of handing Putin Ukraine, this guy is screwed nine ways to Sunday.
Never abandon citizens used as pawns by foreign governments.
Americans have no business in Russia. They travel and work there at their own peril.
#1 we cannot and should not bargain using Ukraine support, or economic sanctions against Russia in place because it invaded Ukraine, for any reason. The only reason to drop those is if Russia leaves Ukraine. ALL of Ukraine!
#2 A prisoner swap is a reasonable option. If, however, Putin is arrested it is not up to the USA to use him in a swap, he will be prisoner to the UN as an international war criminal, not the USA.
#3 I am not sure Russia ever placed much value on the rule of law, but they are clearly not doing so now. It stands to reason then that we cannot trust them to negotiate in good faith. While negotiations are a good idea, expect them to cheat if they see value in it with no consequences.
Between Putin, Trump, the GOP, Fox news lead by Tucker Carlson, we are being bombarded by lies propaganda and fascism. They are working so hard to destroy this country.
We probably should if we ever hope to get this journalist out of Russia.
I am undecided. What my question at the moment is: What was he doing there to begin with?!
It's not like we do not know, already , that Putin was KGB. It's also blatantly Obvious he is trying to re-create the USSR.
So, again, what was an American doing in Russia? If this was because he was sent there by his employer...well, any employer that puts their employee in danger should be paying a price, and in THIS case-a very hefty one.
Can we give donald to Russia in trade for this journalist? Donald is more faithful to Putin than to the USA
Bring our people home especially as this is a political act.
This is going to be Russia's MO in order to obtain the return of their citizens held in the US. They will arrest innocent people and then bargain for a trade for one of their criminals. Bad idea.
No one knows the details. Clearly the charges are manufactured. Putin will use this poor guy to try to get us to stop helping Ukraine. To which I say, maybe it's time to double down. As long as we don't deplete our own stockpiles too much. We don't know what Russia and China are up to. We don't want to be caught unaware.
Doesn't do much good... Extortion.
I think that it is the height of hypocrisy to condemn any other country for detaining journalists while Julian Assange remains silenced and imprisoned in Belmarsh prison. It is long past the time for the Department of Justice or President Biden to drop the bogus charges of Espionage and to free this noble journalist whose only crime was to publish the truth. In a world of propaganda and misinformation, we should aspire to the higher standard that Julian Assange has always maintained.
Encourages more arrests. We make bad deals, trade an international weapons dealer for an anti-American athlete. Encourages Russia.