SABEW, the association for Business Journalists, welcomes the August 1 release of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich from a Russian prison where he was illegally detained for more than a year.
We are grateful for the efforts of the U.S. government, the Journal, the Gershkovich family and so many others who never let up on the campaign to free Evan. We applaud the release of others, including Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty journalist Alsu Kurmasheva, and Paul Whelan.
Journalism is not a crime. As an accredited journalist who was on assignment for the Journal when he was detained, Evan should never have been arrested. The Russian government should be ashamed that it tried and convicted a journalist for doing his job.
This is the first time since the end of the Cold War that an American journalist has been detained in Russia. With Evan free, journalism organizations, employers and all that cherish a free press must work to ensure this never happens again.
