Support The Moscow Times!

Biden Calls Russia's Imprisonment of Evan Gershkovich 'Out of Bounds'

Jim WATSON / AFP

U.S. President Joe Biden on Tuesday called Russia's imprisonment of American journalist Evan Gershkovich on spying charges "out of bounds."

Biden, who made the comments as he departed Washington for a trip to Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, also told reporters that The Wall Street Journal correspondent's jailing was "totally illegal."

The U.S. president said he had tried unsuccessfully on Monday to contact Gershkovich's family and would now "try them from the plane." 

On Monday, the State Department formally classified the reporter as "wrongfully detained" — a status that puts the case in the hands of the U.S. special envoy for hostages, Roger Carstens.

Gershkovich, an experienced reporter for The Wall Street Journal in Russia, was detained in Russia's fourth-largest city Yekaterinburg. He is currently being held at Moscow's notorious Lefortovo Prison where he is expected to remain pending his trial on May 29. 

Despite Gershkovich's arrest taking place nearly two weeks ago, U.S. embassy staff in Moscow say they have still not been allowed to meet with him, something that has often been the case with American citizens arrested in Russia in the past.

Last week Russia’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Maria Zakharova, said that Russia would grant consular access to the journalist in due course. 

Russian news agencies reported on Friday that Gershkovich had been charged with espionage, an allegation denied by both The Wall Street Journal and Gershkovich himself.

… we have a small favor to ask.

As you may have heard, The Moscow Times, an independent news source for over 30 years, has been unjustly branded as a "foreign agent" by the Russian government. This blatant attempt to silence our voice is a direct assault on the integrity of journalism and the values we hold dear.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. Our commitment to providing accurate and unbiased reporting on Russia remains unshaken. But we need your help to continue our critical mission.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just 2. It's quick to set up, and you can be confident that you're making a significant impact every month by supporting open, independent journalism. Thank you.

Continue

Read more