New York (EFE).- The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) and its parent company, Dow Jones, recalled that their journalist Evan Gershkovich, an American, has been detained in Russia for 100 days, and demanded his release with a series of public messages , including an urgent letter to the UN.
The newspaper published photographs taken in places around the world over the course of these months, including the newsroom, the Nasdaq headquarters, a soccer game and a march, in which many people are seen showing solidarity with their cause, showing signs and t-shirts that read “free Evan” or “I stand with Evan”.
“He remains in prison, falsely accused of espionage by the Russian government. The WSJ and the US government have vehemently denied this false accusation and are calling for his immediate release,” said the editor of the newspaper, Emma Tucker, in a letter in which she denounced the case as a “violation of the freedom of press” and stresses that “journalism is not a crime”.
Dow Jones lawyers on Friday asked the UN Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in Russia, Mariana Katzarova, to pressure the Russian government for his release and, until it occurs, to guarantee “all his rights” including consular access, health and security, and avoid “degrading, cruel and inhuman treatment” towards him.
Gershkovich’s parents – who left the then Soviet Union and became American citizens – have been sending him letters and attending his hearings in Moscow to encourage him and show support, saying in an interview published today that they are hopeful of the government’s efforts. from USA
“I trust President (Joe) Biden’s promise to do everything he can to bring Evan back,” his mother, Ella Milman, said in a video.
Accusations against Evan Gershkovich
Two weeks ago, the Moscow City Court decided to keep the journalist in pretrial detention by rejecting an appeal to have him released after another court ordered him deprived of his liberty for longer, until August 30.
Gershkovich, 32, was arrested at the end of March in Yekaterinburg, a city in the Urals, and on April 7 he was formally charged with espionage by the Federal Security Service (FSB, former KGB).
According to the FSB, the journalist “collected, on behalf of the US side, secret information about the activities of one of the companies of the Russian military-industrial complex.”
US authorities and the WSJ have denied the Russian security forces’ accusations against the journalist and have demanded his immediate release.
USA confirms contacts with Russia
The United States confirmed that it had talks with Russia about a possible prisoner swap to secure the release of detained journalist Evan Gershkovich.
The White House National Security Adviser, Jake Sullivan, confirmed at a press conference what the Kremlin had already acknowledged on Tuesday, which admitted the existence of “certain contacts” in this regard.
“There have been discussions, but those discussions have not led to a solution, so I can’t say we have a clear path to bring Evan home,” Sullivan said, adding that he did not want to give “false hope.”
He also assured that the US is still in contact with the Russian authorities to try to also free Paul Whelan, a former Marine arrested by agents of the Federal Security Service in 2018 and sentenced to 16 years in prison after finding him guilty of “espionage activities”.
“We have made it clear for months, even before Evan was arrested, that we are willing to do difficult things in order to bring our citizens home,” the official added.
For her part, the White House spokeswoman, Karine Jean-Pierre, recalled at the same press conference that this Friday marks the 100th day of the arrest of the American journalist and assured that “the United States. has no higher priority than to get him released.