Current:Home > reviewsU.S. formally deems jailed Wall Street Journal reporter "wrongfully detained" in Russia -EverVision Finance
U.S. formally deems jailed Wall Street Journal reporter "wrongfully detained" in Russia
View
Date:2025-04-13 00:22:02
Washington — The Biden administration formally determined Monday that a Wall Street Journal reporter arrested in Russia on espionage charges has been "wrongfully detained."
The designation elevates the case of Evan Gershkovich in the U.S. government hierarchy and means that a dedicated State Department office will take the lead on securing his release.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced the determination on Monday, saying he condemned the arrest and Russia's repression of independent media.
"Today, Secretary Blinken made a determination that Evan Gershkovich is wrongfully detained by Russia," the department said in a 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."
Russian authorities arrested Gershkovich, 31, in Yekaterinburg, Russia's fourth-largest city, on March 29. He is the first U.S. correspondent since the Cold War to be detained for alleged spying.
The Federal Security Service specifically accused Gershkovich of trying to obtain classified information about a Russian arms factory. The Wall Street Journal has denied the accusations.
The State Department said the U.S. government will provide "all appropriate support to Mr. Gershkovich and his family," and again called for Russia to release him as well as another detained American citizen, Paul Whelan.
- In:
- Antony Blinken
- Politics
- Russia
- Indictment
veryGood! (481)
Related
- Tree trimmer dead after getting caught in wood chipper at Florida town hall
- Trump’s Budget Could Have Chilling Effect on U.S. Clean Energy Leadership
- Shereé Whitfield Says Pal Kim Zolciak Is Not Doing Well Amid Kroy Biermann Divorce
- 100% Renewable Energy Needs Lots of Storage. This Polar Vortex Test Showed How Much.
- Retirement planning: 3 crucial moves everyone should make before 2025
- How Britney Spears and Sam Asghari Are Celebrating Their Wedding Anniversary
- Book excerpt: American Ramble: A Walk of Memory and Renewal
- UN Climate Talks Slowed by Covid Woes and Technical Squabbles
- New Zealand official reverses visa refusal for US conservative influencer Candace Owens
- Mining Company’s Decision Lets Trudeau Off Hook, But Doesn’t Resolve Canada’s Climate Debate
Ranking
- Head of the Federal Aviation Administration to resign, allowing Trump to pick his successor
- Harnessing Rice Fields to Resurrect California’s Endangered Salmon
- John Berylson, Millwall Football Club owner, dead at 70 in Cape Cod car crash
- Andy Cohen Reveals the Raquel Leviss Moment That Got Cut From Vanderpump Rules' Reunion
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Triathlon
- Warming Trends: School Lunches that Help the Earth, a Coral Refuge and a Quest for Cooler Roads
- The Paris Agreement Was a First Step, Not an End Goal. Still, the World’s Nations Are Far Behind
- Kelis and Bill Murray Are Sparking Romance Rumors and the Internet Is Totally Shaken Up
Recommendation
McConnell absent from Senate on Thursday as he recovers from fall in Capitol
Unsealed parts of affidavit used to justify Mar-a-Lago search shed new light on Trump documents probe
2020 Ties 2016 as Earth’s Hottest Year on Record, Even Without El Niño to Supercharge It
Body of missing 2-year-old girl found in Detroit, police say
Louvre will undergo expansion and restoration project, Macron says
Climate Change Worsened Global Inequality, Study Finds
3 Arctic Wilderness Areas to Watch as Trump Tries to Expand Oil & Gas Drilling
Ohio Explores a New Model for Urban Agriculture: Micro Farms in Food Deserts