For over a year, Russia has wrongly imprisoned Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich. This is egregious behavior but not an isolated example, and the United States must step up its efforts to counter a deplorable pattern of behavior.

Gershkovich is no spy. He is just a good journalist who filed a straightforward report on Russian economic woes. Russian dictator Vladimir Putin knows this. Like all bullies, he is fond of showing he can abuse people with impunity and wants to intimidate critics.