The family of a reporter jailed by Russia on espionage charges told Biden | World news
The family of American Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who was jailed by Russia on espionage charges, said he had spoken with US President Joe Biden on Tuesday.
The Kremlin said Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich had “violated Russian law” and had been caught “red-handed,” a day after the US State Department publicly said it had been “arrested by mistake.”
Also read: Russia formally charged WSJ reporter Evan Gershkovich with spying: Report
Russia’s intelligence agency arrested Gershkovich last month on espionage charges widely dismissed as false by the White House, other Western countries, the Wall Street Journal, dozens of media organizations and groups. human rights.
The United States’ determination that he was “wrongfully detained” means that it believes he was targeted primarily because he is an American citizen, and moving the case from the State Department to the Office of the Special Representative for Internal Affairs raised the issue. and rise to the politics of the matter. profile.
“We’re making it clear that it’s completely illegal what’s going on and we’re declaring it, so – make a change of power,” US President Joe Biden told reporters.
Gershkovich’s family said they later spoke with Biden.
“We are advised that the State Department has officially designated Evan as an unlawful detainer. We are grateful for President Biden’s call to us today, assuring us that the US government is doing everything in its power to bring him home as quickly as possible,” the family said. in a word.
Asked about the State Department’s action, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov reiterated Russia’s position that Gershkovich violated the law.
He said that Gershkovich had “been caught red-handed and violated the laws of the Russian Federation”, before adding: “This is what he suspects, but of course, the court will make a decision”.
More than 99% of criminal cases in Russia end in conviction and the country has long been criticized by rights activists for its lack of judicial independence.
Russia has not presented any evidence to support the case against Gershkovich, which continues in secret because Russia says case materials are confidential.
Next week, the court will hear a case from Gershkovich’s legal team against an order to keep him in pre-trial detention at Moscow’s Lefortovo prison until May 29.
Another detainee, Paul Whelan, was allowed to speak with his parents Monday for the first time in 12 days and is familiar with Gershkovich’s case, his brother David said.
Whelan, a former Marine who has been held in Russia since 2018, was not included when the United States secured the release of basketball star Brittney Griner in exchange for arms dealer Viktor Bout in December.
David Whelan said in a statement that “Paul’s fear of being left out for the third time was evident in his conversation with our parents yesterday. “It would be a fool’s errand.”
