The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and the Washington Post will publish an open letter on Thursday that urges the Biden administration to do all it can to secure the release of journalist Evan Gershkovich, who has been detained in Russia since March.
The letter will run as a joint ad published in all three papers simultaneously.
“Over the past month, we have watched our industry not only rally around Evan but stand up for journalism and the importance of a free press. We also encourage support from the U.S. government, including President Biden and the White House,” the letter reads.
The letter continues, “Evan’s case is the latest in a disturbing trend where journalists are harassed, arrested or worse for reporting the news. The unjust arrest of any reporter, anywhere in the world, is simply unacceptable. We stand united in demanding Evan’s release, and we won’t rest until he is safely brought back home.”
In late March, Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal reporter, was arrested in Russia; accused of espionage and recently denied an appeal, Gershkovich faces up to 20 years in prison if found guilty. He’s only the latest foreign national to be arrested on dubious charges in Russia, part of what many experts say is an effort to gain leverage in negotiations with the U.S. to recover arrested Russian spies.
The Wall Street Journal and the US Government denies spying allegations. Earlier this month, the Biden administration said he was “wrongfully detained,” and vowed they are working on doing everything they can to secure his release.
This isn’t the first time the Biden administration had to deal with an American being detained in Russia. Basketball star Brittney Grinner spent 10 months in a Russian prison for allegedly having hashish oil in her luggage at a Moscow airport. The United States were able to negotiate with Russia to secure Grinner in December 2022.
