Secretary of State Antony Blinken believes Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich is being wrongfully detained in Russia.
Blinken’s assessment, which he offered on Wednesday morning, is an indication of where the State Department is ultimately heading in the case as it decides whether to mark Gershkovich formally as a “wrongfully detained” American.
When the department designates someone as “wrongfully detained,” it puts their case under the purview of the special presidential envoy for hostage affairs and allocates additional resources to secure his or her release.
US CONDEMNS RUSSIA’S ARREST OF WALL STREET JOURNAL REPORTER
Despite Blinken’s belief that Gershkovich is being wrongfully detained, he noted the process is still ongoing.
“In Evan’s case, we are working through the determination on wrongful detention, and there’s a process to do that, and it’s something we’re working through pretty deliberately, but expeditiously as well,” he said in Belgium. “I’ll let that process play out. In my own mind, there’s no doubt he’s being wrongfully detained by Russia, which is exactly what I said to Foreign Minister Lavrov when I spoke with him over the weekend.”
Gershkovich was arrested last week in Yekaterinburg, Russia, and accused of spying on behalf of the United States, a charge that his employer has repeatedly denied. He is currently being held until May 29 in a pretrial detention center at the Lefortovo prison. He has filed an appeal.
U.S. officials in Russia have not been able to meet with him yet, but the issue “has been taken into consideration,” according to a spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry.
“The issue of consular access to him has been taken into consideration. It is being resolved taking into account the existing consular practice and Russian legislation,” Maria Zakharova said during a press briefing.
The journalist is being represented by the ZKS law firm in Moscow, and his lawyers were able to meet with him on Tuesday.
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“We are encouraged that Evan’s lawyers, retained by Dow Jones, were able to meet with him in prison today. Evan’s health is good, and he is grateful for the outpouring of support from around the world. We continue to call for his immediate release,” Emma Tucker, the editor-in-chief, said in an email to the newsroom on Tuesday.
Gershkovich’s arrest marked the first time since the Soviet Union that Russia detained an American journalist, though a number of other Americans have been arrested on suspect charges more recently. It’s unclear why Gershkovich was targeted.
