Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gerhskovich has been pictured for the first time since being arrested in Russia on espionage charges. The reporter has been considered wrongfully detained by the US State Department, meaning Washington considers his imprisonment entirely political.
Gerhskovich stood in a glass and metal box inside the courtroom with his arms folded in front of him. He wore a checked shirt and said nothing.
He is the first US journalist to be detained in Russia since the end of the Cold War, marking the collapse of relations between Washington and Moscow over Vladimir Putin’s invasion of neighbouring Ukraine.
The Russia correspondent was detained in the city of Yekaterinburg in the Ural mountains last month on spying charges that carry a prison sentence of up to 20 years.
Earlier this month, the US State Department determined Gerhskovich was wrongfully detained, a decision welcomed by his family who have called for his release.
The family said in a statement: “We are encouraged that the State Department has officially designated Evan as wrongfully detained. We appreciate President Biden’s call to us today, assuring us that the U.S. government is doing everything in its power to bring him home as quickly as possible.
“In addition to being a distinguished journalist, Evan is a beloved son and brother. There is a hole in our hearts and in our family that won’t be filled until we are reunited. We are grateful for the outpouring of support from his colleagues, friends and everyone standing with Evan and advocating for his immediate release.”
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