The State Department formally designated Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich as “wrongfully detained” in Russia, unlocking an array of resources that allows the U.S. to put further pressure on Russia to secure the journalist’s release.
The reporter, who was credentialed by the Russian Foreign Ministry, was detained by the Federal Security Service in the eastern city of Yekaterinburg on allegations of espionage. President Joe Biden and leaders of news organizations throughout the globe have demanded his release, with Biden urging the Kremlin to “let him go.”
“Today, Secretary Blinken made a determination that Evan Gershkovich is wrongfully detained by Russia,” read a State Department statement. “Journalism is not a crime. We condemn the Kremlin’s continued repression of independent voices in Russia, and its ongoing war against the truth.”
The State Department called on Russia to immediately release Gershkovich as well as U.S. citizen Paul Whelan.
I made the determination that the Russian Federation has wrongfully detained Evan Gershkovich. We call for his and Paul Whelan’s immediate release.
— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) April 10, 2023
The “wrongfully detained” designation indicates that the U.S. considers Gershkovich to be a political hostage held on fabricated charges. His case now moves to a section of the State Department called the Office of the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs (SPEHA). Human-rights organizations count more than 50 American citizens as wrongfully detained in adversarial countries, including China, Russia, and Iran. The designation is relatively rare considering the number of cases of Americans held overseas on various legal troubles.
Brittney Griner, who was held on minor drug charges and swapped for a Russian arms dealer last December, also held this designation. So does Paul Whelan.
Officials said that the speed at which the designation was reached was unprecedented, as it typically involves a lengthy process that takes months, according to the Wall Street Journal. The designation seldom comes before the detainee is able to meet with American consular officials from the local embassy, which Gershkovich has not been allowed to do.
The State Department’s authority to exert pressure on Moscow is also broadened because of this designation. It can monitor intelligence, build diplomatic coalitions, exert media pressure, and fight for regular consular access.
Eileen O’Reilly, president of the National Press Club, and Gil Klein, president of the National Press Club Journalism Institute, said in a statement the move was a needed one but more can be done by the U.S. government.
“While this case has moved at a record pace, it still took almost two weeks for our government to make this determination. We must do more to streamline the process — especially as it relates to journalists. We believe it is always a wrongful detention when a journalist is held for doing their job,” the statement read.
“SPEHA no longer appears as focused on wrongful detention as it once was, and has not shown a willingness to prioritize cases of journalists. One need look no further than the case of Austin Tice…to see that cases of detained journalists are not a priority of SPEHA. Austin has been held more than 10.5 years, and we have not engaged with Syria to negotiate for his release,” the statement continued. “We call on SPEHA to move swiftly to refer Evan’s case to the National Security Council for a quicker resolution.”
According to Russian news agencies, an appeal to the arrest has been filed and a hearing has been scheduled for April 18.