The United States on Monday determined that Russia has “wrongfully detained” American Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, effectively saying that espionage charges are bogus and that the case is political.
“Journalism is not a crime,” U.S. State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel said in a statement. “We condemn the Kremlin’s continued repression of independent voices in Russia, and its ongoing war against the truth.”
Russia’s Federal Security Service, known as the FSB, said on March 30 it had arrested Gershkovich, accusing him of gathering information about a Russian defence company that was a state secret.
The Wall Street Journal has denied Gershkovich was spying.
