Evan Gershkovich, Wall Street Journal Reporter, Hits 100 Days in Russian Detention

The front page of The Wall Street Journal on Friday commemorated a grim milestone: the 100th day of Evan Gershkovich’s wrongful detention. The Journal reporter was detained in Russia in March while on a reporting trip and has been accused of espionage by Russian authorities—charges that he and the US government have forcefully rejected. “His unjust arrest is a brazen violation of press freedom that has far-reaching consequences for journalism and the media, as well as for governments and democracies,” Editor in Chief Emma Tucker wrote in a letter to readers Friday, encouraging them to keep sharing Gershkovich’s work and updates on his situation. “A free press is pivotal to maintaining a free society and we all have a stake in this,” said Tucker. “Journalism is not a crime, and we will not rest until Evan is released.” Journalists at the Journal and elsewhere also continued to call attention to Gershkovich’s plight on Twitter:

In a joint statement with Dow Jones CEO and Journal Publisher Almar Latour, Tucker also vowed to “continue to work closely with the highest levels of the U.S. government and expect they will vigorously pursue all efforts to free Evan.” Gershkovich’s family also released a statement on Friday, expressing gratitude for the “overwhelming” support from around the world. “Every day that Evan isn’t home is another day too many,” they wrote.

On Friday, the Journal reported that Dow Jones attorneys asked a United Nations humans-right advocate to urge Russia to release Gershkovich. “Russia’s arrest of him was a blunt and chilling warning to all those in Russia who would dare to exercise their rights in ways disfavored by the Russian government,” the lawyers wrote. “Gershkovich’s detention calls for a clear and robust international response.” The 100-day mark comes days after a Kremlin spokesperson confirmed that Russia is in contact with the US over a potential prisoner swap, likely for Gershkovich. A day earlier, US ambassador to Russia Lynne Tracy visited Gershkovich, at Moscow’s Lefortovo Prison—Gershkovich’s first contact with a US diplomatic official since April, according to the New York Times. In June, a Russian court upheld the extension of Gershkovich’s pretrial detention until at least August 30. If convicted on the baseless espionage charges, Gershkovich—the first US journalist to be detained in Russia on such accusations since the Cold War—could face up to 20 years in a penal colony.