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Evan Gershkovich

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Evan Gershkovich
Born (1991-10-26) October 26, 1991 (age 32)
Princeton, New Jersey, U.S.
EducationBowdoin College (BA)
Occupations
  • Journalist
  • reporter
EmployerThe Wall Street Journal

Evan Gershkovich (born October 26, 1991)[1] is an American journalist and reporter at The Wall Street Journal covering Russia. He was detained by Russia's Federal Security Service on charges of espionage in March 2023, marking the first time a journalist working for an American outlet had been arrested on charges of spying in Russia since the Cold War. The White House and media advocacy groups have condemned the arrest. On July 19, 2024, Gershkovich was sentenced to 16 years in prison after being convicted in an espionage trial.

Experts have speculated that the motivation behind the order for Gershkovich's arrest was an anticipated prisoner exchange for one or more high-profile Russians imprisoned in other countries. Gershkovich, who remained in the country following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine after his arrest in 2023.[2]

Early life and education

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Gershkovich's parents, Ella and Mikhail Gershkovich, are Jewish immigrants who each settled in the U.S. after leaving the Soviet Union via the U.S. Refugee Resettlement Program[3] during a period of mass emigration, ending up in the United States in 1979 and eventually New York City, where they met.[4][5] The couple moved to Princeton, New Jersey, where Gershkovich and his sister grew up speaking Russian at home.[6][7][8][9][10] Sources differ on how fluent Gershkovich is in Russian, with Gershkovich himself saying he learned most of his Russian in Moscow, an account bolstered by his colleague, The New Yorker Moscow correspondent Joshua Yaffa.[11][12]

In 2010, Gershkovich graduated from Princeton High School where he had captained the soccer team.[13] At Bowdoin College, he majored in philosophy and English,[14][15] wrote for The Bowdoin Orient and The Bowdoin Review, and disc jockied for WBOR, the campus radio station. He graduated in 2014.[16]

Career

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Gershkovich worked for The New York Times from 2016 to 2017, The Moscow Times from 2017 to 2020, and Agence France-Presse from 2020 to 2022 before moving to The Wall Street Journal in January 2022.[9][15][17] He had lived in Russia for six years prior to his arrest, at the time of which he was based at the Journal's bureau in Moscow and covering the Russo-Ukrainian War.[9] He was working in Yekaterinburg when arrested, covering the Russian mercenary military organization Wagner.[15][18]

Arrest

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On March 29, 2023, while Gershkovich was on assignment in Yekaterinburg, the counterintelligence department of the Federal Security Service (FSB) detained him for having information on a "Russian defence enterprise". According to U.S. officials, Gershkovich's driver dropped him off at a steakhouse at 4 p.m.[19] and two hours later his phone was turned off. The Wall Street Journal hired a lawyer to find him at the FSB's headquarters but couldn't locate him.[20] The Kremlin confirmed his arrest hours later. Dmitri Peskov, Russian president Vladimir Putin's press secretary, said that he was "caught red-handed" but could not provide further details.[21] He was transferred to Moscow where he was formally arrested by a district court until May 29. He was then taken to Lefortovo Prison, a holding facility used by the Soviet Union to detain Soviet dissidents.[22] He was formally charged on April 7.[23] United States ambassador to Russia Lynne M. Tracy met with Gershkovich on April 17 and wrote that he is "in good health and remains strong".[24]

Gershkovich was detained by Russia's Federal Security Service under charges of espionage,[25][26][27] marking the first time a journalist working for an American news outlet has been arrested in Russia on charges of spying since the Cold War.[9] According to NPR, a court, operating in closed session, ordered Gershkovich held until the end of May while investigations were ongoing.[28] According to Kommersant, he was scheduled to be transferred to Lefortovo prison while awaiting trial.[28] A conviction for espionage could carry a sentence of 20 years.[7][9][29]

Gershkovich appealed his arrest on April 3.[30] A judge denied his appeal and rejected an offer from The Wall Street Journal publisher Dow Jones & Company to post a bond of 50,000,000 ₽ (US$600,000). Gershkovich's lawyers said he was reading Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace (1869) and watching cooking shows on monastery cuisine.[31] In a handwritten letter from April 5 obtained by The Wall Street Journal, Gershkovich said he was "not losing hope".[32] He appeared in Moscow City Court on April 18 to appeal his pre-trial detention.[33] A Moscow court extended his detention to August 30 on May 23, where Gershkovich's parents met him.[34] The court rejected his legal team's offer to free him on bail of 50 million rubles ($614,000) or put him under house arrest.[35][36] He appealed the extension on May 26;[37] a Moscow court denied the appeal on June 22.[38] Tracy met with Gershkovich on July 3.[39]

Trial

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Evan Gershkovich appeared in a Russian court on June 26[40] and July 18, 2024. On July 19, the court found him guilty of spying and espionage and sentenced him to 16 years in prison.[41][42]

Reactions

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The charges were "vehemently denied" by the Journal, and the arrest was criticized by the White House, the Committee to Protect Journalists, and the Society of Professional Journalists, and other media advocacy groups.[7][15] Within days NATO and the European Union issued statements criticizing the arrest.[43] On April 27, 2023, the Biden administration sanctioned Russia's Federal Security Service and Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps intelligence organization, accusing them of wrongfully detaining Americans.[44]

Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke to his counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, on April 2. He expressed "grave concern" over Gershkovich's arrest and called for the release of Paul Whelan, a former Marine accused of espionage in 2018. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs repeated the Kremlin's claim that Gershkovich committed "illegal activities".[45] Russian ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov claimed that Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland threatened Russia with "retaliatory measures" unless Gershkovich was released.[46] On April 10, 2023, the US State Department officially designated Gershkovich as "wrongfully detained",[47] meaning his case will be transferred to the office of the Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs.[48] White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre called Gershkovich's arrest "unacceptable". In a statement, Jean-Pierre said, "We condemn the detention of Mr. Gershkovich in the strongest terms." Additionally, she said that releasing Gershkovich was a priority for Biden.[49] Departing for Mississippi to see the aftermath of tornadoes in the state, Biden told reporters, "Let him go". On a diplomatic visit, vice president Kamala Harris echoed his statements from Zambia with president Hakainde Hichilema.[50] The European Union and NATO demanded Gershkovich's release.[51] The United States sanctioned the FSB and Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on April 27 for detaining American citizens.[52]

The Wall Street Journal wrote that it stands in solidarity with Gershkovich and his family.[21] The editorial board of The New York Times—who employed Gershkovich from 2016 to 2017—expressed reproach.[53] A coalition of leaders of dozens of media organizations condemned the arrest in a letter sent to Antonov, as did a separate statement from The New York Times, Bloomberg News, Politico, and The Washington Post.[50] Senate leaders Mitch McConnell and Chuck Schumer released a bipartisan statement condemning his arrest.[23] The House of Representatives unanimously passed a resolution calling for the release of American prisoners in Russia on June 13.[54] Former Russia correspondent Alan Philps compared Gershkovich's arrest to Joseph Stalin's censorship of media in the Soviet Union.[55] Conservative columnist Bret Stephens stated that Putin would benefit from reading Gershkovich's works to gain an independent assessment of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.[56] Brittney Griner, who was arrested in Russia for carrying hashish oil before being involved in a prisoner exchange with arms dealer Viktor Bout, called for his release.[57]

The arrest of Gershkovich—a respected figure among independent Russian journalists—provoked a response from Russian media. In his first story for The Moscow Times in 2019, he brought attention to the non-governmental organization OVD-Info, and relied upon the group mourning Ukrainians killed in the Russo-Ukrainian War. Russia's leading independent journalists published an open letter demanding his release. Mediazona offered live coverage of his arrest on their website. On YouTube, exiled broadcast journalist Maksim Kurnikov noted that Gershkovich's arrest could harm Russia's overview of the war.[58][59] Russian state media reported that the trial of detained US journalist Evan Gershkovich scheduled to be held behind closed doors. Gershkovich denied the charges and his trial was set to begin on June 26, 2024 in Yekaterinburg.[60] Gershkovich's trial resumed in Russia behind closed doors after nearly 16 months in detention. Washington dismissed the charges as fabricated, and a UN panel deemed his detention arbitrary.[61]

Analysis

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The Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center's Tatiana Stanovaya [ru; fr] said that Gershkovich's coverage of the war in Ukraine is likely what attracted authorities' attention.[62] Reporters Without Borders' Jeanne Cavalier said the arrest appeared to be "a retaliation measure" that was "very alarm(ing) because it is probably a way to intimidate all Western journalists that are trying to investigate aspects of the war on the ground in Russia".[7][63]

Former US ambassador in Russia John J. Sullivan said the arrest was likely a preliminary move in a desired prisoner exchange and that the fact Gershkovich had been charged with espionage rather than a lesser crime indicated the desired swap would likely be for a high-profile prisoner.[64] Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov suggested that Gershkovich may be part of a prisoner swap.[65] The Kremlin stated that Russia and the United States were in contact over a prisoner swap on July 3.[63]

Former CIA Moscow station chief Daniel Hoffman agreed the timing of the arrest was "probably not a coincidence" and was likely ordered to gain leverage in a prisoner exchange.[64] Hoffman noted the week before the arrest, the U.S. Department of Justice had indicted Sergey Cherkasov for espionage, asserting Cherkasov was a Russian spy enrolled at Johns Hopkins under the guise of being a student from Brazil.[64] In March 2023, Cherkasov was imprisoned in Brazil for falsifying Brazilian documents, but the U.S. could seek to have him extradited in order to facilitate a prisoner swap.[64] Cavalier also hypothesized Russia would use Gershkovich as a "bargaining chip" for Cherkasov.[66] Another exchange, hypothesized by Andrey Zakharov, would be Gershkovich and Paul Whelan for Maria Mayer and Ludwig Gisch, who were arrested in Slovenia on charges of spying for Russia in January 2023.[67][68] The Moscow Times affirmed that speculation centered on Cherkasov, Mayer, and Gisch.[69] President Joe Biden told reporters that he was "serious" about a prisoner swap at a news conference in Helsinki, Finland.[70] Gershkovich's parents told ABC News anchor George Stephanopoulos that Biden would "do whatever it takes" to release him.[71]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Bella, Timothy (April 8, 2023). "Evan Gershkovich adored life in Russia. Now, the reporter waits in prison". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved April 18, 2023.
  2. ^ "The 100 Most Influential People of 2023". Time. Retrieved April 17, 2023.
  3. ^ "Russia arrests US journalist Evan Gershkovich on spying charge". Time Magazine. March 30, 2023. Archived from the original on March 30, 2023. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
  4. ^ Elizabeth Bernstein (April 15, 2023). "A Tense Wait for an Imprisoned Son". The Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Wikidata Q117731385. Retrieved May 20, 2023.
  5. ^ Cramer, Philissa (April 14, 2023). "Gershkovich, Blume among Jews on Time's 'Most Influential' list". www.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved April 17, 2023.
  6. ^ Lukyanova, Yulia (October 1, 2023). "Evan Gershkovich wanted to explain Russia to Americans. Russia wanted him to stay quiet". Portland Press Herald. Gershkovich, 31, has almost no accent while speaking Russian.
  7. ^ a b c d Grantham-Philips, Wyatte. "Who is Evan Gershkovich? What we know about WSJ reporter arrested by Russia for espionage". USA TODAY. Archived from the original on March 30, 2023. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
  8. ^ Joe Parkinson; Drew Hinshaw (March 31, 2023). "Who Is Evan Gershkovich? WSJ Reporter Loved Russia, the Country That Detained Him". The Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Wikidata Q117353778. Retrieved April 1, 2023.
  9. ^ a b c d e "Russia arrests WSJ reporter on espionage charges". www.aljazeera.com. Archived from the original on March 30, 2023. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
  10. ^ "Spit Thrice For Good Fortune". Hazlitt. February 14, 2018. Retrieved April 1, 2023.
  11. ^ ""Привет, я очень возбужден". Как американец русский язык учил". October 17, 2019.
  12. ^ "Joshua Yaffa on Evan Gershkovich, a Colleague and Friend". The New Yorker. May 8, 2023.
  13. ^ "Princeton High Graduate Evan Gershkovich Detained in Russia". TAPinto. Retrieved March 31, 2023.
  14. ^ "What is the American journalist Evan Gershkovich detained by the FSB known for?". Коммерсантъ (in Russian). March 30, 2023. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
  15. ^ a b c d Michaels, Daniel; Salama, Vivian (March 30, 2023). "Biden Administration Condemns Detention of Wall Street Journal Reporter". WSJ. Archived from the original on March 30, 2023. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
  16. ^ "Evan Gershkovich '14 Detained in Russia (March 30, 2023)". Office of the President. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
  17. ^ Flood, Brian (March 31, 2023). "Wall Street Journal reporter imprisoned in Russia hailed by colleagues for charisma, courage". Fox News. Retrieved April 1, 2023.
  18. ^ "Russia arrests US journalist Evan Gershkovich on spying charge". BBC News. March 30, 2023. Archived from the original on March 30, 2023. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
  19. ^ Parkinson, Joe; Hinshaw, Drew (March 31, 2023). "Evan Gershkovich Loved Russia, the Country That Turned on Him". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved July 16, 2023.
  20. ^ Kirby, Paul (March 30, 2023). "Russia arrests US journalist Evan Gershkovich on spying charge". BBC News. Retrieved July 4, 2023.
  21. ^ a b Victor, Daniel; Grynbaum, Michael (March 30, 2023). "Russia detains a Wall Street Journal reporter, accusing him of espionage". The New York Times. Retrieved July 4, 2023.
  22. ^ Nechepurenko, Ivan (March 31, 2023). "The American reporter Russia accuses of spying is likely to spend months in a high-security prison". The New York Times. Retrieved July 4, 2023.
  23. ^ a b MacFarquhar, Neil (April 7, 2023). "Russia formally charges detained American reporter with espionage, according to state media". The New York Times. Retrieved July 4, 2023.
  24. ^ Vinograd, Cassandra (April 17, 2023). "Evan Gershkovich, the detained Wall Street Journal reporter, has received a consular visit". The New York Times. Retrieved July 4, 2023.
  25. ^ Russia detains Wall Street Journal reporter Gershkovich on suspicion of spying Archived March 30, 2023, at the Wayback Machine Reuters, Andrew Osborn and Felix Light, March 30, 2023
  26. ^ Russia arrests US journalist Evan Gershkovich on spying charge Archived March 30, 2023, at the Wayback Machine Paul Kirby, BBC News, March 30, 2023
  27. ^ Wall Street Journal reporter arrested in Russia on spying charges Archived March 30, 2023, at the Wayback Machine Sarah Dean, Anna Chernova and Julia Horowitz, CNN, March 30, 2023
  28. ^ a b "Russia arrests 'Wall Street Journal' reporter, accusing him of espionage". NPR. March 30, 2023. Archived from the original on March 30, 2023. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
  29. ^ Naylor, Aliide (March 30, 2023). "Russia arrests Wall Street Journal reporter for 'spying'". The Times. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
  30. ^ Olson, Carly (April 3, 2023). "Evan Gershkovich, the American reporter detained in Moscow, appeals his arrest". The New York Times. Retrieved July 4, 2023.
  31. ^ Nechepurenko, Ivan; Troianovski, Anton (April 18, 2023). "Russian Court Rejects Wall Street Journal Reporter's Appeal". The New York Times. Retrieved July 4, 2023.
  32. ^ Bernstein, Elizabeth; Cullison, Alan (April 14, 2023). "Jailed WSJ Reporter in Letter Home Says He Is 'Not Losing Hope'". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved July 4, 2023.
  33. ^ Troianovski, Anton; Nechepurenko, Ivan; Vinograd, Cassandra (April 18, 2023). "Evan Gershkovich, the Wall Street Journal reporter detained in Russia, is expected to appear in court". The New York Times. Retrieved July 4, 2023.
  34. ^ Cohen, Roger (May 23, 2023). "Russian Court Orders American Journalist Jailed Through August". The New York Times. Retrieved July 4, 2023.
  35. ^ "Evan Gershkovich: US journalist arrested in Russia appears in court". BBC News. April 18, 2023. Retrieved April 18, 2023.
  36. ^ "Russian Court Rejects Wall Street Journal Reporter's Appeal for Release from Detention on Espionage Charges – The USA Telegraph". theusatelegraph.com. Retrieved April 18, 2023.
  37. ^ Patil, Anushka (May 26, 2023). "Evan Gershkovich, the American reporter Russia accuses of spying, appeals the extension of his detention". The New York Times. Retrieved July 4, 2023.
  38. ^ Hopkins, Valerie (June 22, 2023). "A Russian court upholds a Wall Street Journal reporter's detention". The New York Times. Retrieved July 4, 2023.
  39. ^ Williams, Abigail; Shabad, Rebecca (July 3, 2023). "U.S. ambassador visits detained journalist Evan Gershkovich in Russian prison". NBC News. Retrieved July 4, 2023.
  40. ^ "Falsely Accused Wall Street Journal Reporter Evan Gershkovich in Court for Start of Secret Russian Trial". The Wall Street Journal. June 26, 2024.
  41. ^ Tanno, Sophie (July 19, 2024). "WSJ reporter Evan Gershkovich convicted of espionage by Russian court in case denounced by US as a sham". CNN. Retrieved July 19, 2024.
  42. ^ "Russia jails US journalist Gershkovich on spying charges". BBC News. Retrieved July 19, 2024.
  43. ^ Cheslow, Daniella; Norman, Laurence (April 3, 2023). "U.S. Allies Demand Russia Release Evan Gershkovich". WSJ. Retrieved April 4, 2023.
  44. ^ "U.S. imposes sanctions on Russia and Iran for wrongful detention and hostage-taking of American citizens". CNBC. April 27, 2023.
  45. ^ Bubola, Emma (April 2, 2023). "In Rare Call With Lavrov, Blinken Demands Release of Imprisoned American Journalist". The New York Times. Retrieved July 4, 2023.
  46. ^ Nechepurenko, Ivan (April 14, 2023). "Russia's ambassador says the U.S. threatened 'retaliatory measures' unless a jailed reporter is released". The New York Times. Retrieved July 4, 2023.
  47. ^ Garrity, Kelly (April 10, 2023). "State Department designates WSJ reporter as 'wrongfully detained". Politico. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
  48. ^ Wright, George (April 10, 2023). "Evan Gershkovich: US says journalist is wrongfully detained in Russia". BBC News. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
  49. ^ Simmons, Ann; Restuccia, Andrew (April 4, 2023). "White House Says Release of Evan Gershkovich From Russian Prison Is Priority for Biden". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved July 4, 2023.
  50. ^ a b Patil, Anushka (March 31, 2023). "'Let him go,' Biden says". The New York Times. Retrieved July 4, 2023.
  51. ^ Cheslow, Daniella; Norman, Laurence (April 3, 2023). "U.S. Allies Demand Russia Release Evan Gershkovich". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved July 4, 2023.
  52. ^ Miller, Zeke (April 27, 2023). "US sanctions Russia, Iran entities for detaining Americans". Associated Press. Retrieved July 4, 2023.
  53. ^ "The Arrest of Evan Gershkovich Is Further Evidence of Putin's Brutality". The New York Times. April 6, 2023. Retrieved July 4, 2023.
  54. ^ Demirjian, Karoun (June 13, 2023). "House Passes Resolution Calling on Russia to Free U.S. Prisoners". The New York Times. Retrieved July 4, 2023.
  55. ^ Blume, Lesley (July 3, 2023). "How Stalin's Control of Foreign Reporters Helped Shape Russia Coverage Today". The New York Times. Retrieved July 4, 2023.
  56. ^ Stephens, Bret (April 4, 2023). "Putin Should Have Read Evan Gershkovich, Not Imprisoned Him". The New York Times. Retrieved July 4, 2023.
  57. ^ Kaitlyn, Radde (April 2, 2023). "Brittney Griner calls for the release of an American reporter detained in Russia". NPR. Retrieved July 4, 2023.
  58. ^ Troianovski, Anton (April 4, 2023). "He Told Their Stories of Repression. Now They Are Telling His". The New York Times. Retrieved July 4, 2023.
  59. ^ "Putin rants about Ukraine, detained US journalist, and history in Tucker Carlson interview: Live". independent.
  60. ^ Avagnina, Gianluca (June 17, 2024). "Gershkovich trial to be held behind closed doors". Retrieved June 17, 2024.
  61. ^ "Russian trial of detained US journalist Gershkovich resumes". July 18, 2024. Archived from the original on July 18, 2024. Retrieved July 18, 2024.
  62. ^ Victor, Daniel; Grynbaum, Michael M. (March 30, 2023). "Russia detains a Wall Street Journal reporter, accusing him of espionage". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on March 30, 2023. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
  63. ^ a b Sá Pessoa, Gabriela; Wong, Edward; Kurmanaev, Anatoly (July 3, 2023). "Kremlin Addresses Possible Swap After Ambassador Meets With Gershkovich". The New York Times. Retrieved July 4, 2023.
  64. ^ a b c d Cullison, Alan; Strobel, Warren P. (March 31, 2023). "U.S.-Russia Rift Complicates Case of Arrested Journal Reporter". WSJ. Retrieved March 31, 2023.
  65. ^ Fassihi, Farnaz (April 25, 2023). "Russia's foreign minister hints of a possible prisoner swap for Gershkovich". The New York Times. Retrieved July 4, 2023.
  66. ^ Law, Tara (March 30, 2023). "The Real Reason Russia Charged a WSJ Reporter With Espionage". Time. Retrieved March 31, 2023.
  67. ^ "Арест журналиста WSJ Эвана Гершковича в России. Что рассказали Би-би-си те, кто с ним общался". BBC News Русская служба (in Russian). Retrieved March 31, 2023.
  68. ^ Walker, Shaun (March 24, 2023). "The 'ordinary' family at No 35: suspected Russian spies await trial in Slovenia". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved March 31, 2023.
  69. ^ Kozlov, Pyotr (March 31, 2023). "Hostage, Signal or Revenge? Spotlight on Russia's Reasons for Arresting WSJ Reporter". The Moscow Times. Retrieved March 31, 2023.
  70. ^ Yilek, Caitlin (July 13, 2023). "Biden says he's "serious" about prisoner exchange to free detained Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich". CBS News. Retrieved July 16, 2023.
  71. ^ Oshin, Olafimihan (July 11, 2023). "Evan Gershkovich's parents say Biden promised to 'do whatever it takes' to bring son home". The Hill. Retrieved July 16, 2023.
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