The filing of espionage charges against Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who has been detained in Russia for more than 440 days, represents a new and dangerous escalation of this assault on press freedom.
Even after the filing of charges on June 13, Russian authorities have not presented any evidence to support their allegations and the unlawful detention of Gershkovich. He was fully accredited by the Russian government to work as a journalist before his arrest and imprisonment last year.
“We are entering a brave new world for financial journalism,” said Henry Dubroff, chair of the SABEW First Amendment Committee. “Unlawful detentions, the jailing of reporters and the filing of espionage charges without evidence are not how relations between governments and the press should work.”
SABEW has joined other journalism organizations and our Wall Street Journal colleagues in standing with Gershkovich. At the outset of our annual conference in April, we protested his imprisonment near Moscow by donning “#IStandwithEvan” buttons (pictured above).
President Putin: Release Evan immediately and permit him and all journalists to cover news from Russia without interference.
