US Secretary of State Talks with Russia: "US Journalist Must Be Released Immediately"

U.S. Secretary of State Tony Blinken on the 2nd (local time) conveyed serious concerns during a phone call with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov regarding Russia's detention of an American journalist on espionage charges for the first time since the Cold War era, urging for his "immediate release."

According to the State Department, Secretary Blinken called Minister Lavrov that day to express serious concerns about Russia's unacceptable detention. Earlier, the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) detained Evan Gershkovich (32), a Moscow bureau correspondent for The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), on espionage charges on the 30th of last month.

Secretary Blinken requested the immediate release of Gershkovich and also demanded the release of Paul Whelan, a former U.S. Marine and corporate security officer detained in Russia. Additionally, they discussed the importance of creating an environment where Minister Lavrov and diplomatic missions can carry out their duties.

Evan Gershkovich, Moscow Bureau Correspondent for The Wall Street Journal (WSJ)
[Photo by AP Yonhap News]

The Russian Foreign Ministry stated that during the call, Minister Lavrov responded that "Gershkovich was caught red-handed collecting secret information classified as state confidential data" and that "his fate will be decided by the court based on the facts of illegal activities." They also confirmed that they cannot tolerate the clear intent of the U.S. and Western media to politicize and incite over this incident. The Russian side maintains that Gershkovich was detained following established procedures and that the U.S. Embassy in Moscow was notified of this fact.

Meanwhile, Emma Tucker, editor of the WSJ, appeared on CBS that day and said, "Evan (Gershkovich) has been reporting from the field to provide readers with eyewitness accounts of what it is like to be in Russia currently," adding, "His arrest is completely outrageous, and the claims by Russian authorities are utterly baseless." The WSJ stated that their lawyers are scheduled to meet Gershkovich on the 4th, but expressed concern that Russian authorities typically delay or cancel lawyer visits in such situations. This is the first time since 1986 that an American journalist has been arrested by Russian authorities on espionage charges.

Brittney Griner, an American professional women's basketball star who was imprisoned in Russia last year and later released, posted on social media the day before, stating, "We must use all the power we have to bring him and all Americans home."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.