It was formally addressed to the American journalist Ivan Gershkovich, who was arrested in Russia last week“espionage” Friday, April 7, the accusation, which he and his employer, The Wall Street Journal, have vehemently rejected. The Russian authorities have “Accused” This is a reporter for The Wall Street Journal, having also worked for AFP in the past, “Spying for his country”The state news agency TASS quoted an anonymous source within the security forces.
He categorically denied all charges and said his activities in Russia were journalistic.Follow TASS. The Wall Street Journal quickly denounced the accusations “totally wrong”. “As we have said from the beginning, these accusations are completely false and unjustified, and we continue to call for Evan’s immediate release.”hit the American Economic Daily newspaper in a press release.
sequel after announcement
Arrested by the Russians, Ivan Gershkovich is an exceptional journalist. and a good man
“unnecessary” stress
According to the Russian news agency Interfax, Ivan Gershkovich is being tried more specifically on the basis of Article 276 of the Russian Criminal Code, a charge that carries a 20-year prison sentence. This indictment paves the way for a trial, the date of which has not yet been announced. The reporter was arrested last week by Russian security services while covering Yekaterinburg in the Ural Mountains. In particular, the authorities accused him of collecting information on the Russian defense industry.
Like the “Wall Street Journal”, the US authorities, Joe Biden and his Secretary of State Anthony Blinken in the foreground, called on the Kremlin to release the journalist. But Moscow confirmed this to the new US ambassador to Russia, Lynn Tracy, on Thursday ” Useless “ To apply pressure to this file. “The noise around this case (…) in order to put pressure on the Russian authorities and on the court that will decide the fate of Ivan Gershkovich is unnecessary and meaningless.”The Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
“arbitrary detention”
The Wall Street Journal, in particular, estimated this last week in its editorial“Expelling the Russian ambassador from the United States, as well as Russian journalists working there, would be the least of things.”
Moscow’s warnings did not stop Democrat Chuck Schumer and Republican Mitch McConnell, the two most senior officials in the US Senate, from calling on Friday for the journalist’s release, in a rare joint statement. Denounced these two contracts to Congress a “arbitrary detention” And he demanded “The immediate release of this freelance journalist respected throughout the world”.
The arrest of this 31-year-old American citizen of Russian origin comes in the context of increasing repression in Russia against the press since the attack on Ukraine, which led to great tension in relations between Moscow and Washington. It also follows an exchange in December between American basketball star Brittney Grenier, who is being held in Russia, and Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, who is imprisoned in the United States. Washington has repeatedly accused Moscow of arbitrarily detaining Americans to use as bargaining chips and to recover Russians held in the United States.
